Harry Potter and the Dark Hunter
by The Emerald Commander
Summary: Have you ever wondered what it would have been like if Voldemort's followers weren't simple plain useless characters? What if the world of magic had a more sinister side? What if the war was not as simple as Harry was led to believe? A Death Eater is now on the hunt, and Harry and his friends will see if they are, truly, up to the challenge. Deathly Hallows AU.
1. Prologue

**Harry Potter and the Hunter**

 **Act I**

 **Prologue**

Selenius Greengrass was not someone who would have ever knelt like a peasant to a king, especially not to just anybody. Then again, Lord Voldemort wasn't just anybody. He was the darkest and powerful magical Lord to have ever existed. One didn't manage to remain fearless in the man's – no, monster's – presence, and Selenius, for all his power and strength, his incredible knowledge in many forbidden arts, was no different. That didn't mean he wasn't reluctant and displeased in kneeling like a plebeian to the inhuman bastard.

Oh, a pureblood and Death Eater he was, but that didn't mean Selenius was loyal to the Dark Lord. No, if he was sincere, the only reason he was there, in the once beautiful and luxurious Malfoy manor – now a shadowy empty shell of its former self – prostrating diligently to the snake-faced abomination known as Voldemort, was because he feared for his life, and the future of his family. Voldemort didn't take kindly to other dark wizards who had extensive magical knowledge to be anything other than his minions, or corpses, and Voldemort was not one to discriminate between his target and his target's whole family.

"My Lord" Selenius solemnly said with his head bowed as a knight to his king. "I have prepared my dark-hands as you commanded, m'lord".

"Excellent, Selenius" Voldemort hissed from his tall throne. No one else was around the deserted chamber, except the dark Lord's giant monstrous snake: Nagini. "I have a very important task for you, one which you can't fail at…"

Selenius leaned forward, only showing more submission as a sign he understood fully. As he expected, Voldemort was pleased with the gesture, red eyes glimmering with sadistic mirth at each side of snake-like nostrils. Sharp teeth glittered in the gloomy room beneath the scarlet orbs of malice.

"Your wishes are my command" Selenius droned.

"Indeed, they are" Voldemort nodded with delight. "Of all my servants, you are the only one who has the skills for this mission. You are no fool either, are you Selenius?" The sapphire eyed man didn't dare answer, knowing full well nothing would come right in the ears of that freaking overlord. "When I was… indisposed… you were one of the few more…" Voldemort took a moment to chuckle "enlightened ones who left the country".

Selenius didn't move. He didn't breath. He didn't even bother thinking.

"CRUCIO!" Voldemort cried suddenly, a hand suddenly aiming a wand at the servant. The man fell to the floor, his face hitting the wooden planks, and writhed in immeasurable agony. It felt like a hellish eternity, which actually happened to be three seconds, before the Dark Lord stopped, pleased as Selenius endured violent spasms.

"You abandoned me and your…" Selenius didn't see it, but he shivered knowing the Dark Lord was smirking sardonically "friends. Where were you when I needed you? What did you do while I was gone?" The tone shifted back to anger. "I am so… disappointed" he spat. "How could you leave your comrades in arms to fend for themselves? My poor, poor Bellatrix, sent to Azkaban… Lucius having to beg and waste gold for petty freedom… and you were away, happy that I had been exiled…" Voldemort glared murderously at Selenius "CRUCIO!"

Three more seconds of torture. Three more damnable seconds of pain. An endless hell.

"But I am a man of second chances" Voldemort proclaimed with dangerous glee. "I want you to capture a boy and his friends, Selenius". He leaned forward "you are not to tell anyone about this, not a soul… and you are not to ask for the tiniest bit of aid". Selenius stifled a groan of pain as he struggled to compose himself back to a kneeling position. "Fail me, and I promise you that you will suffer tenfold for your betrayal. Succeed, however…" Voldemort smiled, pleased with himself as if he was offering eternal life or something similar.

"W-who is he, m-m'lord?" Selenius gasped weakly, shaking.

"Harry James Potter" Voldemort growled.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter I: Preparations**

Selenius Greengrass glared at the defiant map, one that insisted in taunting him with its complexity, vastness and possibilities. Somewhere across Great Britain, a snot-nosed brat and merry friends were hidden, and he was supposed to find them. The mere fact they could be anywhere across the entire country - if they were actually in the country at all – made Selenius grimace. This was an impossible task, one probably set by You-Know-Who for failure, or desperation.

The dark wizard sighed as he turned around, his back turning to the hanged large map. Instead, he focused on the weapons available over a large desk before him. There was an enchanted Nordic blade, a pair of revolvers, an ancient musket rifle and an Enfield rifle, all his weapons of choice. As he stood over them, eyeing each and every single one of them, Selenius scowled. He wasn't supposed to kill anyone, something he had prepared greatly for. Rather, he had to locate Potter, and that would mean using his Dark-Hands.

Why did it have to fall on his shoulders such monumental task? For goodness sake, where the heck was he supposed to start? He had barely returned from Europe only a couple of months before, and that had been much against his will, with a pair of Death Eaters dragging him to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord had been greatly displeased, and even after four months – if their last meeting was anything to go by – he was still irritated by Selenius' reluctance to serve the mad-man. Thankfully for Selenius, the Dark Lord needed him alive, and in one piece, or else he would have died a most painful death.

Selenius frowned as he hummed, deep in thought. A hand scratched his chin as sapphire eyes swept around the small room. Something was up with the Dark Lord. Perhaps it was his imagination, but Selenius was of the impression the Dark Lord was far weaker than the last time he had cast a large shadow on the hearts of Magical Britain. Moreover, he seemed… off, as if a great chunk of his sanity had been lost along the way. The fact Selenius could barely feel the dark-mark was a sign of the Dark-Lord's weakness. True, it stung as it should, but it was… different.

Could have Potter gotten anything to do with that? Selenius dismissed the thought. For all his fame, Potter's "greatness" came more from the Dark Lord's stupidity and incompetence. The more the Dark Lord failed with his lack of understanding and logic, the more Potter's image grew. As it was, though, Selenius didn't know which one was more moronic. Time would tell, no doubt.

Selenius sighed wearily. He needed to clean his new house, or headquarters rather, and he didn't have the time nor desire to do so. Moreover, he had to start searching for something to start the hunt. To find Potter, the safest bet was the Weasley family, the reported to be the closest family to Potter. At the moment Selenius knew the location of only one Weasley, as the rest had gone into hiding: Ginevra Weasley, currently held hostage at Hogwarts.

The thought of the castle made Selenius pause. Maybe he should pay a visit to the castle. He could "rescue" Ginevra, play the part of the Good Samaritan, and gather valuable information on the location of the other Weasleys. The fact the Dark Lord was too obtuse to have ordered that himself, or his Death Eaters, spoke for itself. Maybe in the process he could get a handful of elves… for important reasons, of course.

The dark wizard nodded to himself. That would be a start. He turned to the map, unblemished and bare. Hopefully, he would find that brat.

"Now where are you, Harry Potter?" Selenius whispered as he squinted at the map, speaking like he was demanding it to answer.

Harry Potter gasped, sweating, as he shot up from his bed. No sooner had his emerald eyes opened, he gritted his teeth and braced for the pain that assaulted him on his forehead. Under messy raven hair, the scrawny seventeen years old teenager endured the agony as he sensed Voldemort's glee. Something had happened… and the mad man was pleased. That couldn't bode well, regardless the reason.

"Harry?" A female voice called.

Said boy, unable to fully see without his round glasses, squinted at the blurry world. He did manage to look on as someone turned on a light and a shadow hover over to him. The feminine smell of shampoo and parchment invaded his nostrils as someone sat on Harry's bunk bed.

"I-I'm fine, 'mione" wheezed a pained Harry.

The young man felt his friend, Hermione Granger, delicately putting his round glasses on. This allowed Harry to look right into Hermione's worried chocolate eyes and dishevelled form. Her long bushy brown hair was a mess, and her white skin was red with hints of stress and exhaustion. She was worn out, as was Harry.

"You alright, mate?" A new voice, this time male, mumbled behind Hermione.

It was Ron Weasley, the red-haired friend of Harry's. Like the other two, he looked dreadful. The lanky young man offered a reassuring smile that Harry appreciated. However, it was the eerie flash of jealousy that shone in his blue eyes that caught the emerald-eyed wizard's attention. The freckled face didn't show it as much as it did the eyes, but Harry knew his best mate was not comfortable with Hermione's soothing caress of Harry's hand.

"Yes, it's just that…" Harry trailed off as he scratched his scar in order to remove his hand from Hermione's " _he_ is very pleased about something".

"That can't be good" Ron muttered.

Hermione sighed, shaking her head as she rose to her feet. "I'll make some tea" she decided with an irritable huff. Without further ado she left towards the centre of the tent, leaving the two young men alone. Ron remained staring at Harry while said boy kept his eyes on his hands.

"What happened? Do you think he -" Ron wondered.

"I have no idea, Ron" Harry grunted, interrupting his friend.

"You sure?" Ron insisted "he didn't catch someone of the Order or -"

"I don't know!" Harry snapped angrily, glaring at his freckled friend.

"Wow, geez, mate, I was only asking" the redhead sullenly mumbled, looking away.

"I…" Harry paused to take a deep calming breath "I'm sorry, alright? I just – I just hate this". He sighed exasperatedly, rubbing his sore face.

Ron remained quiet, before he nodded and walked away to join his girlfriend. Harry took the moment of respite to have a handful of weary breathes. He pinched his nose and, with sleeping being more unappealing by the second, decided to join his friends.

Hermione and Ron were sitting opposite each other when Harry left his bed, not bothering to even look at each other. While the bushy-haired witch tiredly stared at the table between the two, the red-haired young man seemed to steal glances at Hermione with something akin to concern and… was it fear? Harry swallowed nervously. How had things become so strained between them all? A kettle and three cups remained forgotten at the centre of the table beneath the halo of a hanging lamp.

It was thanks to magic that the tent they were currently on offered as much as space as it did. With one large central hall, there were other rooms - separated by curtains - that led to a kitchen of sorts, three separate bedrooms and a bathroom. At one point, Harry might have been in awe with all the magic involved. As it was, though, his mind was consumed by more important matters.

"We need a plan" Harry stated, sitting down near his friends.

"Yeah, you don't say" Ron bit back derisively.

"Stop it, Ron. Your attitude isn't helping" Hermione admonished.

"My attitude?" Ron decried, surprised.

"Please" Harry pleaded. "I know we are neck-deep in trouble. Everything is pretty glum. We can all agree on that. Unfortunately, Dumbledore didn't really leave much to help us aside from a handful of useless trinkets and hints here and there".

It was with certain bitterness and irritation that he recalled the old man. Once the famous Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore had died a tragic death at the hand of one of the professors, Severus Snape, who also happened to be a Death Eater. Harry wasn't that surprised. If anything, he was more annoyed by Dumbledore's lack of self-awareness in regards to the greasy-haired Potions Professor. Then again, there had been something fishy about it all…

"What was he even thinking?" Ron bemoaned, leaning back bitterly.

"It wasn't entirely his fault, was it?" Harry sighed morosely. "I have my share of blame too. I mean… look at me? Last year I didn't bother learning more about the dark arts, or even carry on with the Dumbledore's Army".

"Harry, it is not your fault" Hermione, forcing a smile, told her friend. "You had no idea that Professor Dumbledore was going to be betrayed, and no one can blame you for not being prepared. I don't think anyone was prepared for Riddle to take over so quickly. You were only sixteen, Harry, no one can expect you to be able to deal with the world's problems".

"It would have been nice to at least have pointers, though" Ron dryly quipped. "What in the bloody hell was Dumbledore even thinking? A few peeks at You-Know-Who's previous life? That's it? Not how to detect Horcruxes? How to destroy them even?"

"Ron, for the love of God, could you be a bit less of a prat?" Hermione haughtily chided.

"Oh, sorry that I am so grumpy! You know, it isn't like I have an entire family out there in danger!" Ron retorted.

"Come on, guys, this is exactly what Tom wants of us" Harry quickly stepped in before the two had another of their famous rows. Given how he was well aware their morale was down the gutter, he didn't want to risk a full-blown argument between the two.

"For us to fight each other. There is an evil bastard out there that has left pieces of his soul on some objects, and we are the only one who can stop him" he finished after a pause. He turned to Ron, who silently fumed next to him "your family will never stop being under threat unless we stop Tom, Ron".

Ron closed his eyes and took one deep breath. Thankfully, when he opened his eyes, his face softened as did his blue gaze. "I'm sorry, guys, it's just that this is ridiculous, alright? No plan, no rations… we are lost!"

"All we need to do is come up with a plan of action" Harry said "and we need to train, learn as many spells as possible. We must improve our skills in combat".

"That sounds like a plan" Hermione beamed, smiling with real happiness.

"What about the Horcruxes?" Ron wondered.

"Even if we discovered where they are, Ron, we would be bound to run into either deadly protections or Tom's followers, and I don't think we are ready" Harry explained.

"Harry is right" Hermione nodded. "We need to prepare".

Ron huffed irritably but didn't comment on that. This did earn a confused eyebrow from Harry. What was Ron's problem? Harry didn't know. However, something told the bespectacled wizard it had to do with more than just the status of the hunt for the Horcruxes.

"One thing we need to figure out is how to destroy that thing" Harry said, pointing at the hanging Slytherin Locket.

"Isn't that what we've been trying to do?" Ron scoffed.

"You mean what I was trying to do?" Hermione scowled.

Harry sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. This hunt for the Horcruxes was not going well, and it didn't help that both his friends were reacting badly to the pressure. Harry wasn't any better, but he didn't have the same outlet as his two friends. Apparently, quarrelling and snapping at each other had been their method of handling tension and stress all along… yuppie. How in the world could this get any worse?

Ginny Weasley groggily opened her eyes. While she could see clearly ahead of her, she was in a rather heavy daze. To this, she groaned. Thankfully, her condition improved as she laid there. It was with a startling gasp, as she shot off from bed, that she realized this was not Hogwarts. Moreover, something at the back of his mind gnawed at her, as if telling her that a lot had happened – a lot of things that she needed to remember.

She looked around, her eyes wandering off around the dark room, only for her head to spin. She shouldn't have moved too quickly and suddenly. Ginny gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. Why did she feel like she had been run over by a herd of hippogriffs? It was only as she rubbed her head and struggled against the nauseous feeling that threatened to override her better instincts that she realized that she was, as a matter of fact, on some dirty old mattress.

If Ginny had been worried before, now she was beyond frantic. Where the hell was she? How had she gotten here? Who had kidnapped her? Had someone changed her clothes? For it was obvious, she had been removed from Hogwarts, and the list of potential culprits ranged from dreadful to nightmarish. The likeliest scenario was that a Death Eater had stolen her away… but why? And which Death Eater? And… for what? Ginny shuddered at the thought that her clothes had, indeed, been changed by, perhaps, a Death Eater. They couldn't possibly be thinking of…

POP. It might have been the headache, or the fact she couldn't think straight at the moment, but Ginny was not startled when a house elf popped into existence near her bed. The elf, dressed in only an ancient filthy pillow case, beamed at her much to her surprise.

"Missus is awake! Winky was worried she wouldn't wake up" the house elf exclaimed.

"W-who are you?" Ginny timidly asked, taken aback by the whole situation. "Where am I? Who is behind this?"

"Is missus hungry? Winky has been ordered to feed missus if she is hungry" the elf said rather than answering the captive's questions. "My name is Winky" she bowed at her "and Winky will serve missus as her Master instructed her to".

"W-who is your master?" Ginny frowned, gulping.

"Master told me not to tell you" Winky shook her head, smiling. It was as if she was happy to have been ordered around. "Winky will be a good elf" she added with a determined nod. "Don't worry, missus. Master is coming to talk with you".

Ginny paled at that. She looked around, scared. This was not good. Aside from her bed, the entire dark-wood planked room was bare and empty. This couldn't be happening. A door to her left opened, making her yelp with fright.

A tall man stepped in, with broad shoulders and muscular complexion, covered with one thick military-like trench coat of a dark green material. He had a hood over his head, casting a dark ominous shadow over his face… the only thing he could see was the lower half of the man's face, where a pleased smirk greeted her gaze. Sapphire eyes glowed under the darkness, sending shivers down her spine.

"Miss Weasley" the man's voice was surprisingly gentle, refined even, rather than the terrifying husky one Ginny feared. "Good to see you are finally awake…" his gaze swept towards Winky "why don't you go and start preparing dinner, Winky?"

"Yes, Master" the house elf nodded excitedly, popping away.

"Now…" the stranger hummed with delight, stepping towards Ginny. The red-haired girl, in turn, jumped off the bed. She was momentarily startled by the cold on her feet, but she ignored it, too fearful of her current condition. The man froze dead on his feet as she scurried away. "I mean you no harm, miss".

"I don't believe you" Ginny retorted weakly. She was as pale as a ghost at the moment, all blood drained from her face.

"Believe what you wish, miss, but truth of the matter is that I intend for no harm to fall on you" the man calmly told her.

"W-why did you kidnap me?" Ginny mumbled, terrified. "W-what are you going to do?"

"I don't have any plans for you" he replied nonchalantly. "Moreover, you have it all wrong, miss, I didn't kidnap you. I actually rescued you from the evil clutches of Snape and the Carrows, haven't I?"

Ginny scowled. "W-well, I didn't ask to be saved so-so if you don't mind, I-I rather be back at Hogwarts" she stammered. Why was she freezing all of a sudden? Had the bed had some sort of warming charm?

"I don't think so" the wizard chuckled, walking over to the empty bed. He eyed it with a faint smile, only before slowly sitting down on it. "Sorry about this, but I don't exactly have enough funds for anything better. As for your… ehm… change of clothes, it is protocol, you see. I am awful at detection spells so I prefer been a bit more thorough". Ginny glared at him, hugging herself. "Don't worry, I did not lay a hand on your person. It was all Winky".

He undid the buttons on coat and removed his hood, allowing Ginny to see him under the faint light coming from a rusty chandelier above. Ginny flinched as he removed the trench coat, only to squeak as he threw the coat over to her. She remained there, dumbfounded, staring at the pile of clothing that laid in her feet for a moment, only to find the stranger sending an apologetic smile. Ginny didn't need to be told at all. She knelt down and covered herself with the coat. It was, admittedly, nice and comfy… and it smelled… nice.

Ginny studied the man, calming down. He didn't seem to hold any ill intentions. A part of her mind reminded her that had he wanted to do anything indecent, he wouldn't have left much of an opportunity to her. He had short black hair that stood upwards. Ginny couldn't deny he was handsome as well, with a strong chin and an imperious air of strength. He had the face of a man of one her magazines back at her home… that formal black shirt and navy pants didn't dispel the image in her mind at all.

"My name is Selenius Greengrass" the man greeted, clearing his throat. "And I apologize for all of this" he gestured to their surroundings.

"My wand" Ginny stated, reminded about how helpless her situation truly was. "W-where is it?"

"I'll have to apologize in advance, Miss Weasley, but for security reasons I'll be keeping the wand hidden" Selenius told the teenager.

"What? It's my wand!" Ginny yelled, furious. Now that the man wasn't any threat to her, her fear and embarrassment was replaced with anger.

"Miss Weasley, do I need to remind you that you are a minor, currently outside Hogwarts? Any magic you perform, be it as small as it may be, will be traced by the Ministry" Selenius pointed out. "The very same Ministry run by You-Know-Who" he added.

"I don't care" Ginny growled. "It's my bloody wand, for Merlin's sake!"

"And this is my hiding place" Selenius rolled his eyes, standing up. He folded his arms, glaring down at the girl. "As it stands, child, you are in danger".

"I thought you say you wouldn't harm me" Ginny squinted at Selenius, somewhat defiantly. She did step back against the wall nonetheless, weary.

"Do you know why I removed you from Hogwarts, child?" Selenius scoffed.

"No, I have to freaking idea" Ginny huffed. "It would be nice to hear your reasons".

"Gryffindors…" Selenius muttered with disdain "all brawn and no brains. Tell me, miss Weasley, is there anyone you know or are related to that might be the target of the Death Munchers?"

Ginny fought back a giggle at the title he had given the Death Eaters. However, she sobered quickly as she realized: her parents! They were part of the Order of the Phoenix! Of course! They would want to get her to get to her parents!

"M-my parents" Ginny gasped with realization "they are in danger!"

"No, they are not" Selenius grunted. "Well… technically yes, they are, but so is every single citizen of magical Britain. They are safe; miss Weasley, hidden under the Fidelius spell. I don't know the details, but the Death Munchers wanted to use you as means to lure them out".

Ginny sighed with relief. "That's good to hear – I've been so worried about them…" she allowed herself to smile.

"They aren't out of danger yet" Selenius told her. "Well, Miss Weasley, would you mind accompanying me down for dinner?"

Ginny bit her lower lip. This was far from an ideal situation: there she was, stuck in a stranger's home, fugitive, without her wand… it wasn't like it was convenient to deny her captor/rescuer company. If anything, Ginny was rather curious to know more about this Selenius person. Above all, Ginny wondered if she could trust him.

The man walked over to the doorframe and waited for her with a patient stance, looking at her expectantly. She hesitantly went to him, afraid he would suddenly do something, but thankfully her fears were for naught. Rather than actually doing anything, he merely offered her an arm, which she took with certain befuddlement. Whoever this guy was he was probably very old-fashioned… and well-mannered. Ginny didn't mind, though, as they left the room.

What kind of residence where they? Ginny had absolutely no idea. It was all dark and gloomy, and definitely nothing that had once held any true shining. In fact, he got the impression that they were in some god-forsaken cottage in the middle of some dark forest. All windows were covered, boarded with planks and then blocked with thick blinds, which made Ginny think it might be already night inside the hallway she had stepped into.

Like the room, the small corridor the pair walked across was bare, made of dark wooden planks. Spider-webs gathered here and there and the floor creaked ever so often. A handful of ancient oil-lamps offered some lighting, but other than that there was a distinct gloom that reminded Ginny of Grimmauld Place, if only someone had cleaned it somewhat more that is.

She noticed another room opposite to the one she had left. Her curiosity did not go unnoticed.

"That would be my room" Selenius told her. "I suggest you keep away from it, lest you wish to find something unsavoury" he cryptically chuckled.

Ginny frowned at the man, baffled, only to be led onwards. Down a flight of stairs, they came across something reminiscent of her home. It was a large entrance hall of sorts, annexed with the kitchen, yet separated by a counter. Like the floor above, the windows were closed, leaving only a handful of candles to shed some light. On a small table, Ginny saw what looked like a roasted duck ready to be eaten, alongside a tall unlit candle and enough cutleries for two people. Had it been any other scenario, Ginny would have called it romantic. As it was, she was starving, and her stomach voiced that loudly enough.

"It would seem someone is in need of nourishment" mused the host, much to Ginny's embarrassment. She blushed, focusing on the smell of the meal. He led her to a chair and, rather courteously, offered the seat to her, much to her growing blush. It was not every day she was treated like a lady. "I am rather surprised you have been so trusting" he remarked curiously.

"I don't trust you" Ginny stated.

"You clearly trust me enough not to ask for evidence that I am not in league with You-Know-Who and his pets" Selenius pointed out.

As if to answer the question, he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, exposing his arms… well toned and filled with muscles Ginny hadn't seen in any boy at Hogwarts. It was with some embarrassment that she realized she was supposed to look for the Dark Mark rather than those athletic desirable limbs.

Selenius sat down, shaking his head with disappointment. As much as Ginny hated it, he was right. She was being too naïve and trusting given her situation. Then again, what else could she do? It wasn't like she could fight the man if she wanted. He was taller, stronger and, by the looks of it, he would be more than capable to overpower her without a wand as it was. The fact he also had a wand with him was just worse.

"Is there… anyone else?" Ginny pondered, looking around.

Selenius' eyes widened with realization. "Ah, yes! How could I have forgotten?" He nodded "Dobby!"

A loud pop announced the magical arrival of another House-Elf. Ginny blinked at the elf. Something about the name prickled in the back of her mind, as if she was supposed to know who the creature was – or at least, she had heard of him – he was sure of that.

"Dobby, let me introduce you to Miss Weasley" Selenius told the elf that stared at Ginny with wide eyes that were the size of fists. His two long bat-like ears perked up. "Miss Weasley, Dobby the House-Elf".

"This is a pleasure to Dobby… to be at the service of Harry Potter's woman" Dobby bowed respectfully at Ginny.

Selenius looked like he was fighting both surprise and laughter as he heard that. Ginny, at the other hand, scowled at the elf. "I-I am not Harry's anything…" she muttered, looking away with a face as colourful as her blazing hair.

"You are acquaintance with the Potter boy then?" Selenius raised an eyebrow.

Ginny nodded, hesitantly wondering what she should tell him. "My brother, Ron… he's friends with Harry" she said.

"Go on" Selenius gestured Ginny to start serving herself a portion of the meal. "I am certain Winky did a fine job".

"Dobby helped too!" The house-elf, who hadn't popped away yet, boasted.

"I am sure Winky will digress" teased the man. "Would you mind leaving us, Dobby?"

"N-no, not at all!" Dobby happily bowed, before vanished with a pop.

Ginny quizzically stared at the vacant space left by the House-Elf. "I've only seen one house-elf before, and he was a bit… creepy" she commented.

"They are rather curious creatures, aren't they?" Selenius nodded. "Winky and Dobby actually were free elves I recruited from Hogwarts".

"You took them from Hogwarts?" Ginny asked, blinking at Selenius with shock.

"From the kitchen itself" Selenius smirked. "It wasn't hard, not when I asked for any elves willing to aid me fight You-Know-Who. Only Dobby volunteered. Winky tagged along when I offered to bind them to me".

"Why would you bind them?" Ginny frowned.

"It would make it safer for them. They won't be able to reveal my secrets, be forced against me and I will be able to summon them whenever I need their services pretty much anywhere" Selenius explained. "It is very convenient, isn't it?"

Ginny nodded, amazed. "So… you oppose You-Know-Who?" She queried.

Selenius cut a piece of the duck, which he offered to Ginny. She graciously accepted it, offering a thankful smile at the man who proceeded to serve himself. He glanced at the unlit candle and frowned at it, as if questioning the fact it hadn't been lit yet.

"Indeed" Selenius nodded, before looking to the air to his right. "Dobby, would you mind bringing some water to drink?"

The answer came in the form of a silver jug materializing at the middle of the table, next to the candle.

"Thank you" Selenius smiled at nothing in particular, before addressing a voracious Ginny. "As for You-Know-Who, yes, I despise that fiend. He is a nightmare to dark wizards like myself".

Ginny choked for a moment, earning a worried look from Selenius, before she was able to gasp hoarsely "you are a dark wizard?!"

"I'm a practitioner of the dark arts" Selenius admitted with a shrug. "That would make me a dark wizard, would it not?"

Ginny frowned. Selenius seemed too nice a man to be evil. Then again, he could be a spy, a liar or… no, it didn't make sense to her. He clearly wasn't evil, if the way he was treating her was anything to go by. He was not only polite, after all, but clearly he didn't seem to have any ill-intentions towards her person.

As if to make a point, Selenius raised a hand and snapped his fingers. What Ginny did not expect was for a small spark to jump off his fingers and straight to an outstretched palm. Slack-jawed, the red head could only stare, awed, as Selenius proceeded to lit the candle before dispelling that bit of wandless magic with a wave of his hand. A spark of interest caught within the young woman, who was unable to see the hungry fires of ambition burning in the eyes of the man.

"My passion has always been branches of magic like Pyromancy and Nigromancy, as well as some obscure rituals" Selenius carried on. "Thing is that with… well… _him_ , you can't delve too deeply into them without his permission or knowledge, and even when you are exploring them, you are forced to give away anything you find". Selenius scowled. "Do you know what the worst part is?" Ginny meekly shook her head, glancing furtively at the candle "seeing everything you learned, everything you sweated and fretted about be twisted and corrupted by _him_ , and be helpless to do anything.

"Thing is, when you want to discover new spells in such dark areas of magic, the very same who call themselves defenders of the light, the ones who oppose You-Know-Who will turn their backs on you. That's what happened with me" he grunted, taking a moment to glare at his plate and chew a bit. "I went to Dumbledore himself for help… but he thought I was…" he sneered "too corrupted – too lost in the darkness to be redeemed".

"Dumbledore would never say that!" Ginny yelled, rising to her feet. "Albus Dumbledore was a great man and wizard!"

Selenius raised an eyebrow at her. "Was he?" He queried.

"Yes, he was" Ginny huffed, returning to her seat. "But a dark wizard like you would never appreciate that".

"Perhaps" Selenius nodded "but then again, have you ever stop to think about him, not as an idol but a person? One with strengths and flaws?"

Ginny glared at him. "Dumbledore was the greatest magician of our era – that's a fact" he growled.

Selenius smiled, rising his hands in placating manner. "Easy there, I am merely pointing out that you sound more of a fan than anything" he chuckled. "History will tell, won't it?"

Ginny glowered at the man, daring to speak such blasphemous things. Selenius Greengrass, in response, simply offered a charming smile.

"Now, what is your plan, Miss Weasley?" Selenius suddenly asked.

"Ginny" she declared bluntly, annoyed. "Call me Ginny, please. I prefer that than Miss Weasley". He nodded in understanding. "Ehm… plan?" She blinked her brown eyes at him. "I don't – ehm – have a plan".

"As it stands there are two options I am willing to offer: I could take you back to your home, meaning to your parents, or I could allow you to stay here" Selenius explained. "On the one hand, leaving might be best for both of us. As a dark wizard I rather not corrupt your innocent mind with the dark arts" he teased at her, earning a glare from her. "More importantly, you would be with your parents and their friends". He sobered considerably as he carried on. "However, odds are that there are hidden Inferi around your house, if not worse things lurking and prowling, waiting for anyone to show up or for your parents to leave the safety of the Fidelius".

Ginny slowly nodded as the words sunk in. There was a lot to consider.

"You must also admit that even if you were to show up, it is doubtful they will let you in. Your parents will be rather sceptical of your sudden appearance, which would put you in danger. Besides, even if you are taken in, you will probably be hidden away and cuddled" Selenius continued. "Then there is your other option: staying here. Unfortunately, I don't exactly have a lot of funds at my disposal, so I doubt you will be comfortable here. Moreover, the security around this house is not as safe as the Fidelius. You would be in grave peril with me. There is also the fact that I will NOT be disclosing what I am up to, given how you can't use your wand to protect yourself, much less my secrets".

Ginny didn't like her options. Returning to Hogwarts was not an option. Even though Selenius might be lying, the Carrows had been awful at the school and things were merely going downhill from what she had seen. Slytherins were getting bolder, their sins growing by the day… no, it was best for her to leave if she could. But then again, staying with a stranger was not a better option. He had kidnapped her from the school and, by all means and purposes he could be lying. But why? What could he earn by keeping around a teenage girl? He did seem well-mannered and nice, a real gentleman actually…

She knew she had to return to her parents, at least to ease their worries. However, the more she thought about it, the more reluctant she grew. Firstly, were she to return, her mother would keep her safe and hidden, like Selenius said. She would be forced to sit the entire war out if it was up to her mother and Ginny had no intentions of doing that. She was not going to be a damsel in distress… again. Secondly, Selenius was also right to point out that the Death Eaters would be waiting around her house, outside the Fidelius Charm's perimeter. That would be dangerous for her – and then her parents.

With a heavy sight, and studying the handsome man opposite her, Ginny realized there was one logical answer to the current predicament.

"I'll stay" Ginny decided. "And I want you to teach me about the dark arts".

Selenius' eyes widened comically at that. Clearly, he hadn't expected that, had he? He regained his regal composure swiftly enough, though.

"Alright, we'll begin tomorrow morning, since I don't have anything planned for the day. In the meantime, Miss Weasley – I mean, Ginny – why don't you tell me about yourself?" He politely inquired, leaning back and letting the teenage girl regale him with her past. "After all, I heard a lot about your father: defender of muggles, a lover of his technology and an honourable man to boot" he added, fuelling the fire of Ginny's desire to speak.

Little did Ginny know the darkness that resided within the man's heart, or the evil schemes that were being concocted inside his mind. She was unaware of the way his gaze would linger on her face, or the satisfied smile that showed his feeling of victory. No, Ginny wasn't aware that what she thought was small pointless talk would come to play in the man's plans. After all, how was she supposed to know that the way she spoke about her childhood at her home would influence Selenius' strategies?


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter II: Breakthrough**

Selenius Greengrass didn't like the odds of his mission. Capture Harry Potter, the Dark Lord had ordered. It sounded so easy in principle yet so complicated in practice. As a matter of fact, the main problem was that Selenius knew close to nothing about the boy, something he managed to correct with Ginny's help.

The Daily Prophet – the most prominent newspaper - had been useful as well, with many copies lying in his office, where Selenius would stare at the large map of Britain and ponder where the elusive brat might be. There were other magazines and newspapers he had bought in order to acquire information about the Potter brat, his target. Much to Selenius' embarrassment, he also bought all the copies of the Quibbler he could… an experience that Selenius would never attempt to repeat.

From what Selenius had gathered from his talks with Ginny and the many old copies of the Daily Prophet he had managed to purchase, the Potter brat was a close friend of the Weasleys. That much he had gathered already with the fact he had been last seen with the Granger Girl and Weasley Brat escaping from the Ministry. It had been impossible to ascertain the purpose of their infiltration, only that it was foolish, badly-thought - if it was even thought at all – but above all… unpredictable. If Selenius knew what the Potter brat was after, he could lure the brat with that, or maybe get a few steps ahead.

As it was, Selenius had some hope. If the Weasley boy – Ronald – was with the Potter brat, all Selenius needed to do was have his prided Dark-Hands chase after Ronald and they would lead Selenius to Potter. That was why the Dark Lord had selected him, after all, for his Dark-Hands, particularly the Ashen Wolves that could follow the essence of a specific target at miles of distance. Thing was that for that he needed essence of the Weasley brat, and as it was he didn't have any of that at hand. The Weasley residence, on the other hand, was bound to have had more than enough – but it was under Fidelius!

Better yet, odds were in favour the fact that Potter was most likely hiding alongside Mr and Mrs Weasley. If Selenius could get past the Fidelius, he could get his hands on Potter or really start the chase after the brat with his Ashen Wolves. First thing was first, though, the Fidelius. No one before in the history of magic had managed to replicate the feat he would attempt, and it was likely he would fail…

But no matter, Selenius had a plan, one that might allow him to be the first wizard to ever break into a residence under the Fidelius Charm, or at least he hoped. For that, though, he needed relative coordinates to where the Weasley house was and that, sadly, required interacting a lot with the Weasley girl. Surprisingly enough, though, Ginevra had been rather… easy to get talking. It had been far more shocking how quickly that was and, more importantly, Selenius hadn't expected the girl to ask for teaching. He didn't refuse, of course, willing to get closer to the girl for more information. Moreover, he liked the girl's attitude, and she wasn't exactly bad to look at. In his solace, she was a strange comfort.

After two weeks, it was time start the next phase of his plans. As it was, the Dark Lord had been oblivious and busy… since Selenius didn't want to summon his ire yet, he rather go to him with results than empty handed.

Selenius lowered his book as he studied Ginny, clad in an old-fashioned scarlet dress, with a hand over an unlit candle. They were back on the table, with Selenius seated opposite the red-haired girl. Her eyes were closed and her face was scrunched deep in concentration. The man stared at the young woman, fascinated by her dedication. Why had an innocent, naïve Gryffindor decide to jump into the dark arts? Well, her excuse had been between the lines of "if I fight dark wizards I better learn their tricks". Foolish and clever at the same time. Cute, even.

Ginny suddenly waved a hand and, much to Selenius' surprise, the candle was soon after basking under the orange light of a flame on top. Ginny noticed this and squealed excitedly.

"I did it!" She laughed happily, hands held up in the air with joy and triumph.

Selenius put his book down on the table and clapped at the girl. "Excellent!" He exclaimed with a sincere smile. "You are learning rather quickly" he added, pleased.

"I have a good teacher" she replied with a smirk. She eyed the flame she was able to wandlessly cast. "And it isn't that hard".

Selenius stood up to study the fire up closer. Ginny stepped aside, letting the Master examine her work. As he contemplatively hummed, she bit her lower lip, hoping there was nothing wrong with her .

"Don't grow too arrogant, lass" he glanced at her, offering a teasing smile.

"Yes, yes, I know… the first rule of Pyromancy" the red head muttered, rolling her eyes. "Don't play with fire" she huffed.

"It would seem, Ginny, that you have an affinity for Pyromancy" Selenius grinned as he leaned back, nodding approvingly at the young woman.

"People always told me I had a fiery personality" Ginny joked, earning a chuckle from the wizard.

Ginny stared at Selenius, taking in the man's well-sculpted face. Her face heated up as he flashed a proud smile at her. When had it been the last time someone showed appreciation and kindness to her and her work? It was so weird to be looked at with such… respect. There was no lust, no crudeness or awkwardness. Only appraisal. She bit her lower lip. How long had she wanted a teacher like that at Hogwarts?

"I can attest to the fact you have a lot more to offer than a vibrant personality" Selenius quipped, winking at her. His smile fell at that "Ginny… tonight I'll have to leave – I'll try something and… I might not come back".

Ginny bit back the questions. She had learned that Selenius was stubborn in his stance of not involving her in his affairs, for his protection as much as hers. Had anyone said that to her, she would have thrown a tantrum, unwilling to be left behind – and alone. Selenius, however, was a different case. When those sapphire eyes focused on her, there was strength, a drive behind them that garnered her respect and compliance. It was something like Snape, only without inducing fear in the process. Or McGonagall, who could muster the command of any pupil with her stern green gaze.

"That dangerous?" Ginny queried, worried.

"Yes" Selenius nodded with a heavy sigh. "But it must be done. In the meantime, I suggest you read" he paused to send a scathing glare "don't you dare practice without my supervision". His face quickly softened. "If something happens to me… well… Dobby and Winky will be your elves".

Ginny nodded, feeling a weight settling in her heart. She had grown accustomed to Selenius' presence, and following his many teachings, that she felt rather at home in their little hideout. While Hogwarts was far more comfortable, there were Death Eaters now and they made the castle an unpleasant place to be. Ginny might have gone as far to say that she was actually enjoying her stay.

"Just… be safe, alright?" Ginny told him.

"I'll try" he replied with a kind smile, much to the young woman's distress.

That night, Selenius Greengrass vanished from his hiding place and into a particular location, clad in his trench coat and the hood over his head. Tonight he would either make history or fail miserably. First thing first: locating the house of the Weasleys.

Ginny hadn't been exactly reserved or silent during their time together. It was obvious she was either not thoughtful of the importance of each titbit of information she delivered or she was too talkative. Either way, Selenius had a good guess where the Weasley residence was hidden. It was near a muggle village, and neighbouring the Lovegood's house. The Diggory's weren't that far either, at least not from a broom flight away.

Two things told Selenius where the relative location of the house happened to be: firstly, a surrounding grove of trees used to hide themselves better from muggles, and, secondly, the house had a connection to a mud-road. The best way to see a place with such things, sadly, was with a broom and high in the air while invisible. This in itself generated a handful of problems.

Selenius was a horrible flier. Secondly, he didn't own a broom. Thirdly, he had chosen a particularly dark night to fly, so seeing the world below would be difficult. And fourthly, he was terrible at casting the disillusionment spell. To deal with these issues, Selenius had Dobby steal one of the school brooms from Hogwarts. It was not the brightest decision, given their famous instability, but Selenius didn't have a choice. Any other means of flying around weren't accessible or would take too much time.

Then, Selenius employed a pair of sunglasses he had modified for night vision, one that had come handy for his night escapades years in the past. He would be blinded if he was to ever use them under the sun but for the time being they would be perfect. Finally, to counteract his lack of invisibility, he did the second best thing: camouflage. With a basic colouring spell, he darkened himself and the broom to such blackness that he would go unnoticed in the night sky, at least at plain sight.

Flying was not easy, and Selenius hated the entire experience, but thankfully, it paid off the first night. After four long, cold, horrible hours of soaring over the skies, he found a suspicious location. For starters, there was a small road that led to nowhere, or rather to a small glade in a side of trees. Selenius knew right away that that was where the Weasley residence was: at the centre of the glade. Thing was that the Fidelius pulled in everything around the hidden location together, making it look like a continuum and thus, instead of a large square plot of land surrounded by trees, the trees appeared to be circling an empty spot between them.

This was going to be easier than he had thought, or so he mused as he circled down. He made sure to feel the wind (regardless how numb he felt after hours of flying) and thus touched ground with the wind blowing onto his back. As he landed and threw the blasted contraption for playing quidditch to the ground (tempted to spit at the deplorable artefact), Selenius couldn't help taking a handful of minutes to stretch and swear his soreness away.

He hated this job. He hated being a slave for a mad man. He hated being forced to wasting his time and talents in such convoluted schemes as this… but in the end, Selenius appreciated the challenge. It was exhilarating in an if-I-fail-I'll-be-tortured-to-oblivion sort of way.

Standing between trees, Selenius Greengrass studied the glade, hiding carefully. He hadn't counted for the trees to give away the location in this way, or offer such convenient hiding spots, but he wasn't going to look at a gift horse in the mouth. Now though he had to make sure this was, indeed, where the house was. For all he knew, after all, this could just be a normal glade with a road leading into it.

In order to verify that there was a plot of land under the Fidelius, Selenius pulled out a compass. It was old, battered and yet working rather well regardless. Using the compass, he walked around the grove in a circle. The theory was easy: the space inside the bubble that was the Fidelius would trick anyone into thinking there was nothing there. Thing was that there was something. One could not walk into the secret, not even by accident, but at the same time, if one was walking in a straight line and a compass showed as if you were turning, then it meant that you were walking right around the hidden location thanks to the Fidelius. How such charm was able to trick the perception of time and space was anyone's guess, but it would prove to be the charm's own weakness in the end.

As it so happened, Selenius praised the gods that, indeed, his theory was correct when, instead of the arrow of the compass turning as he walked around the mass of trees, it staying in a straight line. It made sense, for Ginny had described the trees around her to have been arranged at the perimeter of their square plot of land, meaning that he was actually walking straight rather than around a circular gathering of trees. It was the Fidelius which was tricking his perception. Thankfully, no spell was capable to deceive the entire world.

Selenius grinned, putting his compass back into his trench coat and pulling out a small paper plane. Gods did he love those elves he managed to swindle to bond with him. He didn't want to exaggerate, but getting his hands on Winky and Dobby had been the best idea he had ever had. After all, they could constantly pop into Hogwarts and – somehow – get all sorts of stuff for Selenius, and gods knew how much garbage Selenius liked to tweak with for his many artefacts, like the sunglasses. Where were all that much garbage like an old compass, paper planes, metres and metres of cord and so forth coming from? He had no idea, but one of those days he was going to ask the two elves about it – if he didn't forget.

As it was, Selenius hesitantly glanced at the paper plane. He felt like an idiot as he started pulling out a long white cotton string to tie the button of the plane with across a knife-made hole. It was like being back a child and playing with stupid toys. Thing was, he didn't know any other way of breaking into the Fidelius.

Once again, the theory was easy and simple: nothing could be guided into the Fidelius' secret. An object or person that moved randomly would be directed away from the secret. One couldn't stumble inside. However, the Fidelius was not impervious. Some things could easily pass through, however, like water, light… air… if something actually rode aimlessly in the wind, it then stood to reason that it could enter the Fidelius. Because the plane would be pushed by the wind, something the Fidelius was permeable to, then it would, in theory, fly along right into the secret… if the wind blew towards it that is.

It was with that in mind that Selenius waited for the next gust of wind to flow from behind towards the centre of the glade. When he felt it blowing over him, he released the plane and allowed it to soar onwards, a white cord tailing the childish thing. Selenius stood there, transfixed in the darkness, waiting… eyes following the plane… and then nothing. The plane was gone.

Selenius' eyes widened, a hand tightly holding the string tied to the little paper construct. He couldn't believe. He had managed to find a way to break into the Fidelius charm? No, it was too early to call it a victory. So, taking a deep breath and remembering his mission, he slowly following the string into somewhere… When his hands were near the point of disappearance, he first stretched out his right hand, always touching the string…

Selenius had to fight back the nausea as time and space seemed to shift and morph around him. One moment he was stumbling ahead, the next he was standing in the middle of a large garden under the gaze of an ugly looking house to his left. It looked like some sort of abomination, where a simple farm-house was rudely transformed into a building with more floors on top. Selenius sneered at the home, only to realize, with a gasp, that this was it: he had infiltrated the Fidelius Charm!

Selenius beamed, chest swelling with pride. For all his weaknesses, like being unable to cast Unforgivables and many spells, he had proven once and for all he was not someone to be trifled with. He was elated, and satisfied. With a smirk he realized he had quite the edge now. The Weasleys would never be expecting someone to break into their home.

The dark wizard carefully looked around. The garden was a mess, with tall grass and mounds of gnomes. Clearly, it had been neglected as it needed de-gnoming. Other than that, it was safe. The house was completely dark. It was a pity he couldn't cast a homum revelio to know if there was any people inside, because the house looked deserted.

"Time to call in the reinforcements" Selenius grinned devilishly. Carefully, he pulled the string and plane to him and returned them to the inside pockets of his coat, before he drew out an urn. He loved expandable pockets…

The man knelt and opened the silver urn carefully. With practiced ability, he started chanting. It was one after one minute of soft whispering that a cloud of grey ashes rose from the urn and shoot off, splitting up into different separate blobs of their own. Selenius didn't stop, smiling as his Dark-Hands started to shape up. Before he knew it, Selenius was surrounded by a whole pack of ten rabid-looking creatures, all with the shape of wolves. Their eyes glowed in the dark with an eerie red light, and their forms were translucent and ethereal, like evil ghosts.

Selenius stood up and, with the urn's lid on, put the artefact inside his coat. He removed his glasses for his sapphire eyes to look at the house, taking in its raw shadowed form for a moment.

"Scatter" he commanded. The Hands obeyed, forming a large circle around the Weasley residence.

Carefully, he walked onwards, dispelling his blackness. With his eyes attentively taking in every detail through the modified sunglasses, he went to the door, opening it up with a simple "alohomora" that allowed him and a pair of his Dark-Hands to silently step inside.

The mere notion that his target, his prey, could be somewhere made him nervous. If Potter escaped, he would be forced to search for him from scratch and that was going to be tedious. There was also the possibility the brat wasn't around. That would only delay the inevitable.

It didn't matter, Selenius was confident that he would succeed here.

With a smile, and weary eyes, he scanned the room. A long table resided next to what appeared to be a kitchen. There were a few cushions further away, a fireplace, and some bookshelves. It was, all in all, a rather homey place. Selenius hummed softly to himself, pondering if he should offer Ginny a bit more of the same commodities. As it was, his hiding place was pretty bare, and the last thing he needed was for his prisoner to desire to leave. Besides, he liked indulging the girl, more so as she grew as his apprentice and companion.

He approached a staircase. Before the first step, he took a deep breath and moved onwards. Sadly, it was a smooth ascent, with him wincing with every creak. The ghostly wolves, with their furious red eyes, followed closely. Though his heart raced with trepidation, beads of fear rolled down his forehead.

The first room he opened was, much to Selenius' relief, where Mr and Mrs Weasley happened to be sleeping. If Selenius had to guess, the parents built new rooms as they got more and more children… a bit irresponsible, but Selenius was not one to question pureblood breeding. Gods knew there were too few of them left to be so conceited to give birth to one or two.

The dark wizard took a moment to look at his two preys. Mr Weasley was a humble looking man with a balding scalp. He smiled in his sleep and mumbled something about 'electoniks'. Selenius rolled his eyes at the mispronunciation of 'Electronics'. It was plain ridiculous just how ignorant wizards could be about their non-magical counterparts.

Mrs Weasley, on the other hand, was a plump woman that looked, differently from her husband, as if the stress was slowly gnawing on her visage. There were bags under her closed eyes, and restlessness in her slumber. She turned and turned, to the point the spectating dark wizard had to ponder if she wasn't, perhaps, awake.

Selenius felt a pang of guilt at that. No mother deserved to endure such worries about her children. It didn't help that Selenius had the woman's only daughter. But then again, it is either a broken-hearted mother or the Dark Lord's wrath and, as it was, Selenius was sure the latter was worse – if only slightly.

Selenius raised his wand and aimed it at the two unsuspecting sleepers. It was then that Mrs Weasley's eyes snapped open… and straight towards Selenius. Had it been Fate's hand which had intervened or an awful case of bad luck? Either way, Selenius was startled by the suddenness of her movements to the point he did not react in time for the now-frantic house-wife to fire a spell at him. It that hadn't been embarrassing enough, Selenius didn't take long to find out there was only stairs behind him as he was pushed back.

The dark wizard was not sure what followed as he started to painful roll down the stairs, cursing all the way. He thought he heard screams, or at least loud yelling. As he fell on his head on the ground floor, he was certain he had broken something. Selenius swore as he panted.

"What are you waiting for?" He told his dark-hands, which remained staring at him impassively. "Capture them!" He roared.

Without stalling, the ash-creatures leaped into action, climbing up the stairs and hitting into the senior Weasley's door. Apparently, Mrs Weasley had wisely managed to lock it. Selenius took a moment to stand up, a strong pain erupting from a side of his chest. Not even a few seconds later, a loud crash informed the dark wizard that his minions had succeeded. It was the lack of screaming, struggling or even sounds that told Selenius something had gone terribly wrong.

As Selenius aggressively stomped into the room, he discovered what was amiss: the Weasleys had escaped. He hissed furiously, cursing his own inability to act quickly. He had been so close! So bloody close! The two Weasleys could have been a fountain of knowledge in his hunt, and useful baits too! Blast!

"Search the house!" He yelled at his minions. "Capture anyone that is alive!"

The wolves' answer was to run out of the room, leaving their master to dwell on his embarrassing defeat. Selenius growled as he glared at the empty bed. An emergency Port-Key? Maybe. That or they apparated away. It was a pity Selenius was not well-versed in anti-appartition wards.

The man took deep breaths. No, it was not a defeat, he told himself. It was a momentary setback… yes… that was it. He nodded with a strained smile. He couldn't deny he was very tired as the night's hunt had been extensive.

"Two things to do, then" Selenius mumbled. "First thing first…"

He calmly walked out the room and moved over to the next ones, wincing with pain at the injury he had acquired. Thankfully, no rib seemed to be broken.

"Now, all I need is to find essence of the Potter brat, the Weasley side-kick and the Mudblood" he chuckled impishly. Tonight was a step forward, whether it had its bump or not. There had to be something he could use to hunt the three troublesome brats. As a matter of fact, mere strands of hair would do nicely and of that there was bound to be plenty of…

* * *

Harry frowned, confused, only to grow exasperated and sigh wearily. The book in his hands offended him more and more as it was, and Harry was really tempted on setting it in fire. But Hermione sat opposite him and, thus, book-burning was a big no-no… at least, while she was around. The bushy-haired girl, at the same time, noticed the frustration of the boy across the table.

"Are you tired, Harry?" She asked full of concern.

"I… I just can't read anymore" Harry confessed, sighing once again, throwing the book over the table. He leaned back, exhausted. How long had he been reading? A lot more than he was used to, that was for sure.

"You are doing fine!" Hermione exclaimed with surprising cheerfulness. It was strange those days to have anything to be happy about. "I mean, you aren't exactly the most avid reader I know of, so it is amazing you have been reading for as long as I have".

Harry offered a lopsided smile. "Thanks?" He shrugged. "Y'know, I used to read a lot" he reminisced, only to hastily amend with "not like you, mind you, but it was like the only hobby I had back at the Dursleys".

"Really?" Hermione's eyebrows rose high in her forehead. "I don't believe you, Harry."

"No, really – where do you think I got the name for Hedwig?" Harry mused with a grin, only for his expression to fall.

Hedwig… she had been Harry's familiar and faithful pet owl. He still felt guilt about her death, and remorse about how uncaring he had been with her. He tended to ignore her, let her be most of the time, barely ever showing any affection to Hedwig. It was now that she was gone he really wanted to be with her. A warm hand wrapped around one of his, startling the young man from his thoughts.

"I'm sorry. I know that losing her was difficult…" Hermione, just as sorrowful as Harry, apologized.

"You have nothing to apologize for" Harry stated, trying to sound mirthful. He cleared his throat and, removing his hand from Hermione's comforting grasp, he carried on "like I was saying, I actually read all of the Hogwarts books before First Year. I mean, I was bloody fascinated with it all!"

Surprise marred Hermione's face at that. "Are you serious? I thought you were more of the Ronald type" she joked.

"Ronald type?" Harry chortled at such ridiculous title.

"Come on, Harry" Hermione sighed with a roll of her chocolate eyes. "You lazed around, spent more of your brain-energy on Quidditch and boy-stuff… you rarely ever read at the Common Room."

Harry had to concede the point to her. As a matter of fact, he couldn't deny that he had never truly bothered to pick any book after he met Ron…

"I guess Ron had a lot to do with that" Harry shrugged with a smile. "He was my first friend and, well, I might have followed him around a bit".

"That and he kept dragging you to play Wizard Chess?" Hermione teased.

Harry rubbed the nape of his neck, embarrassed. For one reason or another, Harry would always play with Ron, only to get beaten by his friend time and time again. It appeared like he was a masochist in hindsight if he played along to only suffer defeats.

"Those were so different times" Hermione mused with a nostalgic glint to her eyes. "We were so innocent, so naïve to the darkness of the magic world…"

"We were children" Harry pointed out. He hesitated, as he thought about it "though… I mean, I never took the hint, did I?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione wondered.

"Come on, Hermione, first year Tom showed his face, the second it was one of his Horcrux, the fourth he came back, and on the fifth year he tricked me into the Department of Secrets" Harry muttered. "It was like Fate was pushing me to confronting him – no, my destiny". His shoulders slumped, saddened. "And I just wanted to be a simple boy…"

"Harry -" Hermione, ever the nice friend, was about to try to cheer the boy up, only for him to interrupt.

"No, Hermione, I was an idiot" Harry grunted. "Last year I cared more about making out with Ginny than my pending date with Tom. I didn't prepare and now look at us".

Hermione bit her lower lip, a sign that while she didn't like what she heard, she agreed with it. "Harry…" she whispered as she cupped one of Harry's hands, expressing her sympathy. "You are a teenager – no one deserves the burden you had on your shoulders".

The two remained staring at each other, lost in the souls of the friend opposite them. A thousand words were shared and thoughts sprouted. Whatever was communicated was left unspoken, as they shared a smile.

"I guess I'll get back to this" Harry sighed with resignation as he grabbed the book again.

"That's the spirit" Hermione joked, returning her attention to her own book.

Unbeknownst to both of them, a pair of blue eyes had watched the entire scene unfold, buried in deep sockets of a sullen, distraught face. Ron Weasley, however, did not leave his hiding place behind the bedroom's (if you could call it that) curtain. Rather, he retreated back with too much food for thought.

* * *

Selenius Greengrass looked dead ahead, into the early night of the forest. He grimaced as he stood there, starting to feel miserable already, as his Dark-Hands raced off into different directions, miles and miles away, in hopes of detecting remnants of the essence of their master's target. To some degree, Selenius was content with his success. He had found out that the Potter Brat and the muggle-born girl had both slept in the Weasley's home, and had managed to get more than enough to create Dark-Hands with ashes of their hairs, thus imprinting the wolves onto them.

Unfortunately, the second phase of Selenius' plan was the most aggravating and the one that would get him in trouble with the Dark Lord. Moreover, it was the most tedious one. After all, he had an entire country to scour now, from North to South, East to West, all around in hopes of getting even close to the Potter brat. Selenius didn't want to think what he was actually going to do once he found him at the moment.

As the wolves went ahead, Selenius took a moment to breathe in and allow the success of the night before fill his lungs. He smiled as his mind conjured the image of his apprentice, Ginevra. She was quite the charming and pretty young woman. One day, she would make an excellent Pyromancer, and maybe a great wife too. If Greengrass could he would pursue her hand, but she was too young and it was proper of him to abuse her admiration for him, even though he had a strong feeling she actually fancied him. Oh, how tempting it would be to play along…

Selenius shook his head, trying to summon something less enticing to think about. An image of his brother, Darius, was more than enough, as his daydreaming was flushed away and replaced with anger and coldness. The bastard… a man Selenius cared and had sacrificed so much for only to be repeatedly stabbed in the back. Selenius had taken his parents', particularly his father's, teachings to heart. Darius hadn't. And yet, Selenius was willing to hope, to dream of being the brothers they were supposed to.

Matter of the issue was that Selenius didn't want to confront Darius, a fact that gnawed the dark wizard day and night. Selenius, when he had been exiled from Britain (or rather he had been forced to run away with his tail between his legs after the Dark Lord's fall) had spent years and years longing to meet his niece, Daphne. Had he taken the family sapphire eyes or were they the same hazel as her mother? Would she have an affinity for Pyromancy or maybe another branch of the dark arts? Would she cared or want an Uncle in her life?

It had given Selenius a semblance of strength knowing he had family out there. Although they weren't waiting for him, they were there nonetheless. His incompetence with the muggle women, who Selenius grew to detest, and his inability to form romantic attachments only fuelled Selenius' desire to be able to connect with his niece, the closest thing he would ever have to a child.

And yet, Darius, the bastard, was still in need to be made aware of Selenius' return. The dark wizard dreamed of storming Darius' family house, in blazing glory, and demand retribution… but Selenius knew better. So much time had passed… would Darius accept the error of his ways? Or, like Selenius feared, had he simply erased the memory of his younger brother from the back of his mind?

Selenius cursed his cowardice. Unfortunately, as he sat down on a small boulder, unwilling to return to Ginny in such state, he could only muse about his failures and his fate. From early on, Selenius had been foretold a life of misery and mediocrity. Many a people had suggested, in the goodness of their hearts, to learn to be happy with what he had, and be just himself, to be just Selenius. However, that was not what Selenius wanted, and he suffered in the pursuit of another destiny.

Oh how much he had longed for greatness, for his peers to look at him in awe, gasp with delight at his mere presence… Selenius glared at his wand, feeling disgusted by it, only to feel guilty for being so harsh on an inanimate piece of wood. Ollivander had been the cruellest of them all who had ever taken a glimpse of Selenius' mediocre future.

"This is a very unique wand, one made as an experiment" Ollivander had said, looking with sadness at a much younger Selenius. To that day, the dark wizard could remember a sense of dread washing over, and the way his parents shared a look of worry. "Roble, a wood never tried for wands, and a core of Fire Salamander heartstring…" his creepy eyes focused on him, almost warningly "this is a wand meant for humbleness and sincerity".

The Sorting Hat had been just as depressing. While Darius' sorting had been, allegedly, quick, Selenius had to fight the stupid thing from the beginning. It still brought a sad smile to the dark wizard.

"You will find happiness in Hufflepuff, surrounded by equals and friends. You are a hard-worker to boot, and you respect that aspect! You are a true Hufflepuff and you should not let what you had heard about the House make you ashamed of that fact" Selenius recalled from the mental conversation with the annoying piece of headwear. "I can see your desire to prove yourself, to achieve glory, the Slytherin that drives you… but Slytherin will only lead to misery!"

And regardless what he had been told, Selenius stubbornly pressed on, too fearful of accepting the terrible reality that he was meant for mediocrity. When the first signs of failure became evident, with spells failing, underscoring the Charms, Defence against the Dark Arts and Trasfiguration O. with pathetic Acceptables, Selenius had been devastated. People were, admittedly, kind and respectful to him – except his brother. Unfortunately, Selenius didn't want sympathy. He wanted to succeed! To prove the galaxy wrong!

Oh the failure… now Selenius was getting sad with the memories… studying hours and hours, practicing the spells with all the attention and drive he could muster, spending all of his life in Hogwarts trying to garner the power he would never get… he had a lonely time, with no friends, and yet, he pressed on.

After the rotund failure of the O. , Maximus Greengrass had been stern yet kind with his youngest son, giving Selenius an advice that would mould the future of the man: "Son, I know you don't want to hear it, nor do you desire to face the harsh reality, but you are not meant to be a mage like your brother. Before you say otherwise, no, I want you to look deep within yourself and embrace that aspect of you, because I fear you will not be able to change that. Gods know there are many things we are bad at and we wish it was otherwise… but life is too short to dwell on what ifs and things that I'd rather have. I want, on the other hand, to discover your strengths and embrace them too – forget about your weaknesses, and discover the man you can become, for greatness comes in many faces".

Selenius chuckled in thought. His parents would be proud of him, no doubt, having proven that, indeed, regardless his shortcomings, Selenius could achieve great things. Pyromancy had been one of those things Selenius discovered he was good at, and boy did he relish in the power it brought. Tweaking and working around gadgets, employing his magic over objects rather than through his wand was another facet that made Selenius the man he was. And now no one would be able to deny he was bound for mediocrity! He had broken through a freaking fidelius thanks to his cunning and resourcefulness, and soon he would catch that bloody Potter and get all the secrets he could from the brat.

Selenius hated the mere notion of the brat. Famous from the age of one, Potter had the Fates aligned in his favour. Whereas Selenius had been reminded of his ordinariness Potter had been destined for greatness. Life had thrown everything the lad had needed his way, from wealthy parents – albeit dead – to the attention and care of Albus freaking Dumbledore. Selenius had had his parents to guide him, to embolden and temper his soul, but not the resources to reach the levels above nor the attention of anyone worthwhile. Through the world, people could recognize the mark of greatness in Potter thanks to a scar, and the omens of failure on Selenius. Even the Dark Lord was weary of the boy when at the same time he treated Selenius like a dirty rag to be used to scrub the floor in his sadistic torture sessions.

No, Selenius wanted to find the brat and finally settle a score with the destiny foretold. Selenius Greengrass would crash the bastard born for success and make it clear that Selenius had defied Fate itself! And then the Dark Lord. With the downfall of both fated enemies, Selenius would deny them both the destiny written for them by some erratic deity in the heavens above. He would rise to the challenge and-

"ARGH!"

Selenius' blood chilled at the horrible, desperate scream of a woman. Whilst distant and somewhat faint, it induced the same shiver as it would had it been nearby. It was the terrible high-pitched sound of horror and desperation, riddled with the panic and crashing darkness of reality. The dark wizard stood up, gulping, as he looked around. Hastily, put his sunglasses on, allowing him to see the night world around.

"ARGH!" Came the scream again, this time louder and far more frightened. It was cut off rather abruptly, making Selenius worry. Someone out there needed help, and Selenius' honour demanded him to act. He looked around, searching for the source, only to notice another scream in the distance, this time of a man. Had there been such screaming during his musings or had they come up now?

Selenius followed the source across the trees, careful not to trip over, while rushing to aid any souls in need. Soon, he found the origin in the form of two muggle igloo tents. Apparently, some muggles had gone of camping in the middle of the woods and found something distasteful in such dark times. The source was unclear until he got much closer… where he saw a woman, crying and flailing, as she was suspended in the air… by a giant hand.

If Selenius had been afraid before, now he was as cold as a stone as he followed the massive hand to its source: a full-fledged giant, who had a maw wide open and was about to take a bite from the woman's head. He was tall, perhaps six metres tall, and bald, not to mention ugly, wearing a makeshift pair of shorts and t-shirt, which was covered with dried blood.

Selenius raised his wand instinctively. He might hate muggles, but he would never wish such a fate for anyone – thus, he made a move to rescue the woman... Only for a hand to grab him and elevate him into the air.

Selenius swore as he felt his wand fall on the floor, sweat wetting all of his face. He turned around, and saw that, indeed, he had missed a giant who had been standing behind a tree. Just as ugly, he smiled stupidly before addressing his friend. Selenius felt himself going sick as a deafening CRUNCH silenced the poor woman, as a head was severed from its shoulders by large incisor teeth.

In that moment, when Selenius discovered he was going to be in a giant's menu, he was able to spot the other giants. Five of them in total, two of which seemed to be eating something already while a third one was struggling with what appeared to be a child between his hands. The other two were the ones by the tents… one of which had Selenius.

"Let me go, you imbecile!" Selenius spat in his panic. The giant only grinned hungrily at him and opened his maw, the revolting stench of putrid meat and death striking his nostrils.

Giants. They were supposed to be the Dark Lords servants too! And here they were about to eat Selenius… Selenius saw his entire life flash across his eyes. From the time Darius pushed him away, calling him a squib, to when the Dark Lord found him one night, forcing him to take the blasted dark mark… No, this was not the end! The world would not be rid of Selenius Freaking Greengrass yet.

"NO!" Roared Selenius as he summoned his pyromancy to him.

The giant holding him let a loud dumb wail of pain as he released a burning Selenius. He stepped back, staring at his hands in such vacant manner that made the dark wizard, ablaze in sapphire flames, question their limited intelligence. Soon enough, though, angry giant eyes were fixated on the pesky fiery person below. He was greeted by the burning eyes of Selenius, where trails of blue smoke rose with power.

The other giants had stopped what they were doing, surprised by what they were seeing: a cooked meal. Selenius, however, didn't wait for the giant to act. He went to the nearest tree and searched for his gas mask within his cloak. By then, the first giant had more than enough time to realize the cause of his burnt hands was getting away.

The gas mask looked pretty much like something of the First World War. As a matter of fact, with the trench coat, Selenius looked like a trench-boy from said war. With a revolver in one hand and a sword in the other, he run away, trying to formulate plan. He looked back only to find a massive feet over him. Selenius jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being flattened. Sadly, he couldn't stop the disorienting earthquake he endured afterwards.

The giant was displeased when he saw Selenius kneeling next to his feet. Thus, he proceeded to try to kick Selenius, only to miss – if only slightly. By then, Selenius was choleric. Who were these pathetic ignorant beings to attempt to eat him?! He would burn them alive, all of them! Angrily, he charged to the grounded feet just as the other one remained in the air, his old Nordic blade catching in emerald fire just as he slashed.

Selenius was, by all means, a pathetic wizard. He might not have the power and/or skill for the most complicated and powerful spells, but he had learned to use his intelligence where it came to enchanting. Runes, forging, tinkering… they were all Selenius' strengths. His wand was incredibly mediocre, as his duelling abilities… but that night, Selenius would prove he would be dangerous foe to even a horde of giants. As if to make a point, his magically-enhanced sword sliced across most of the leg. It didn't end there as the cut immediately burst into flames.

The giant released a horrified cry of horror, stumbling back only to fall, as his limb burned. There was the thunderous sound of agony, but after the horrible death Selenius had witnessed, there would be no quarters.

"Come, you wretched animals!" Selenius roared at the incoming Giants who hurried to aid their comrade. The voice came off as deep and dark, modulated by magic embedded in the mask's material. "Tonight, you will taste my burning wrath!"

One of the giants, perhaps the tallest of the lot, shouted as he charged, carrying a club – or rather a fallen tree. The large brute lifted the weapon over his head and was in the process of slamming Selenius, only to be blinded by a bullet going straight to an eye. As expected, the giant cried in pain. The explosive emerald fire that began afterwards on said eyeball drove the brute to the ground, flailing and wailing as if under the Cruciatus, unable to stop the pain of the enchanted bullet, cursed to set ablaze its victim.

Selenius took a deep breath, one that made his chest swell, only to contain it, just as a third giant rushed in, grabbing a tree and – wisely – using it as a javelin. The dark wizard responded by releasing one loud sneeze, one which caused a large cloud of pitch-black smoke to surround him. The tree landed and slid right across the cloud, having failed to hit its intended target. A loud whistle pierced through the night, much to the giants' confusion.

Four giants remained standings, gathering together, while one remained dead on the ground. The first one, the one who had been cut in the leg, had managed to slap the flames away, and angrily looked at the smoke cloud, eager for vengeance. It would be for naught, as he was suddenly attacked by a wolf of ash. Instead of clawing or biting, the Dark-Hand leaped straight into his open mouth, diving inside the creature's lungs. Not surprisingly, the giant started to painfully choke in pain.

The four standing Giants looked on in horror as from the dark cloud smoke came a burning man, glaring at them, followed by a pack of giant ash wolves. Flames came off him while leaving the man untouched. Tonight, there would be four less giants in the world.

When dawn came, all that remained was dark ashes, the remnants of a wildfire. Muggle authorities would later report that the Robinsons, a simple family of five that had left camping, had been set on fire by a mad man. The five innocent people would be found buried, having been chopped by some nut job no doubt. Wizard authorities, on the other hand, would be more baffled about the dead, scorched giants found on Scotland.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter III: Unions and Separations**

"Failure!"

Selenius Greengrass screamed in pain as the Torture Curse overrode his senses. It was like a thousand knives stabbed him over and over again on every inch of his body. Needless to add, it hurt – and gods the pain was simply blinding. Selenius was a proud man, and he was not one to give in so easily and flail around like a worm… but the Dark Lord was furious. In his fury, Selenius was sure the mad man's Torture Curse increased in pain tenfold, at least.

Lord Voldemort paced in front of his throne, releasing his curse from over Selenius. His slit red eyes glared at the man sprawled at his feet while his flat snake-like nose flared with contempt.

"I am a merciful lord, Selenius" Voldemort spat as he creepily caressed his wand. "I gave you an opportunity to redeem yourself in my eyes and what do you do? You fail me". He smirked "and you know how I deal with failure".

"M-my lord" wheezed a shaking Selenius. "I-I have…"

"Speak up, you worthless imbecile" Voldemort growled. "Of all my servants, you are certainly one of my most pathetic ones. Unable to cast powerful spells, incapable of doing the Unforgivables properly… if you weren't such an expert in creating your Dark-Hands I would have never been so kind as to include you in my Inner Circle."

Selenius bitterly remembered he hadn't had much of a choice. It was joining the evil club or be tortured every single bit information he had in his area of expertise to the brink death, without adding what would have happened to his brother and his family. Regardless, he pressed on.

"M-my lord" he declared. "I-I have enough essence to f-find the Potter brat and his side-kicks. M-my d-dark hands a-are on their trail! I s-swear!"

Voldemort sneered. "And you believe you will succeed?" He asked with disdain.

"Yes" Selenius panted. He looked up at the Dark Lord, straight to the eyes. "I only need time".

"Time?" Voldemort growled. "You pathetic excuse of a wizard!" He proceeded to torture Selenius more, relishing at the screams of pain that came from said man. As he stopped the curse, the Dark Lord carried on "and how much time would that be?"

"I-I'm searching one measly brat and h-his side-kicks across th-the entire country – as-as we st-stand m'lord, I don't even know if he is even IN the country at all" Selenius bravely carried on.

The Dark Lord's response was three seconds under the Torture Curse. "I don't want excuses!" Voldemort roared.

"Then kill me!" Selenius yelled back, furious, sapphire eyes glowing with rage "and you will take far longer to find the brat".

Voldemort stared back at him, somewhat surprised at the servant's outburst, only to smirk. "I see…" he hummed, making Selenius gulp. "You are right, my friend" he conceded "I am too busy, performing important duties as Lord of this realm, to hunt Potter and no other servant of mine has your skills. Very well, Selenius, you'll get your wish: take your time, but bring me Potter and his side-kicks".

Selenius sighed with relief.

"I will, however, be keeping a monthly tab on your progress" Voldemort drawled on, circling around the trembling servant. "Now, let's address your sudden impertinence…"

Selenius knew right away the Dark Lord would not let his outburst slide easily, and he hated being right about that.

* * *

Ginny Weasley was worried sick. She paced and paced but nothing helped. Instead, she tried sitting down on one of the hard, ancient couches Selenius had managed to procure. The redhead looked at the nearest boarded window, tempted to tear it apart if only to catch a glimpse of the dark world outside, a world that had Selenius Greengrass in its midst.

The young woman distractedly flattened her elegant blood-red dress. It was old-fashioned and something she would have never worn. Thing was, she didn't want to be a burden. Selenius was more than kind enough to get her dresses, and she felt wrong taking offence on them. He did give her a pair of pants and shirts… but it wasn't the same. She couldn't deny she kind of liked wearing them (particularly because neither her mother nor brothers were around to comment on them) but also because of the way Selenius looked at her.

Ginny sighed, closing her eyes and leaning back on her couch. She was going mad if she wanted to draw the attention of someone so much older than her, especially in the way she wanted. Sadly, she couldn't help herself! The heart wants what the heart wants. He was elegant, handsome, muscular and very well-educated. She enjoyed how he treated her not as a child or princess, but his equal. He taught her powers that she had been long denied and worried about her in a way that was more different and, somehow, more touching than the worries of her family.

It was ridiculous! Months before she had been a sassy tomboy that had Harry Potter as a boyfriend! Now she was here, fawning over an older man and acting the part of the house-wife. If her mother ever saw her like this she would be bound to congratulate Selenius. Of course, Molly Weasley would be rather vocal on her opinion of such an older man taking advantage of her daughter like said girl would want him to.

"Master!" Dobby and Winky cried out in unison as they hurried over to the library.

Ginny jumped to her feet and followed after the two elves. Something in her gut told her this was not going to be good. That he would appear with an arm missing, dying or worse. She had imagined so much of that in the months she had been with Selenius. To think it was already December…

"Oh, Sel!" Ginny cried out as she saw Selenius, lying on the ground, surrounded by the tall bookshelves of the small library. He was face down and, by the looks of it, in pain.

The man groaned, shaking a bit, as Dobby and Winky fretted around the man, unable to do anything. Ginny rushed to the man's side, pulling him over to check his paled face. She felt tears running down her cheeks as a weak Selenius moaned agonizingly in her arms, his handsome face devoid of the strength and conviction it usually had.

"Sel, what happened to you?" She asked.

"B-Bloody C-cruciatus" he swore, half-lidded Sapphire eyes meeting her chocolate eyes.

"W-what c-can I do?" Ginny stammered, feeling helpless.

"Y-you don-don't have to w-worry" Selenius slurred, a trembling hand moving to caress her cheek. She pressed her cheek into in response, enjoying what little affect he expressed, even in such delusional state.

"You aren't going to die, are you?" Ginny asked, afraid. "I don't want to be alone…"

"Shhhh" Selenius whispered, smiling endearingly "I'm not going to die…"

"What happened?" Ginny wondered.

"Got my arse handed to me" Selenius huffed, closing his eyes to grit his teeth. "I only need rest".

"I'll take you to your bed" Ginny decided firmly. "Come on" she told him as she pulled him up, an arm over her shoulder.

Selenius struggled to get on her feet, but thankfully he could manage to walk. Ginny was just as thankful as she doubted she had the strength to drag his whole weight up the stairs. Together, the two marched up and right into Selenius' room. With a simple double-bed and a bedside table, Ginny could easily realize that Selenius was not a man of luxuries. If anything, he only used the bed to sleep, which made Ginny ponder on what he had meant about nasty things in his bedroom. Had it been a lie?

Ginny didn't think much about her surroundings, focusing on carrying the trembling man to his bed. He was heavy, a result of his muscles no doubt, but the trench coat was probably the main reason. Regardless, she was utterly exhausted by the point Selenius fell back on his bed, sighing with relief.

Ginny studied the wizard, wondering what had been done to him. He mentioned the Cruciatus, the Torture Curse, but why would Death Eaters use it on him rather than killing curses? He frowned, perplexed.

"You are shaking" Ginny remarked, suddenly feeling like an idiot for pointing out the obvious.

"A side effect of prolonged exposure to the Cruciatus" wheezed Selenius as he gritted his teeth. "I guess they didn't like my humour…"

"Oh, Sel…" Ginny shook her head "you were caught?"

"I was looking around the forests when the bloody bastards showed up" Selenius retold convincingly. "Sadly, one can't block the Unforgivables… that gives the Death Munchers an edge in combat".

"You can't block them?" Ginny blinked at him, surprised.

He shook his head, gritting his teeth in pain once again. "Thankfully I have a few tricks under my sleeve… or nose if you will" he chuckled.

Ginny smirked at that. "The Black-Sneeze?" She queried with an amused face. Selenius simply grinned back at her.

"No one expects the Black Sneeze" he joked, earning a giggle from the redhead. It was a short-lived moment of levity, unfortunately, as Selenius hissed after a sudden wave of pain.

"Is there something I can get you?" Ginny wondered quickly, her worry returning in full force.

"Something to eat would be nice" he grunted. "But you shouldn't bother-" whatever he was going to say died down on his lips as the young redhead rushed out, leaving a befuddled Selenius behind. He shook his head "she could have asked the elves" he grumbled, mostly to himself.

As it was, it took only thirty minutes for Ginny to return with a tray of something in her hands. However, to Selenius, it was a matter of seconds as he dozed off, his vision spinning and his mind hazy. He had been tortured a bit lot this time, perhaps more than he remember the Dark Lord ever doing.

"Hey" Ginny's voice softly woke him up.

"Hey" Selenius groaned. Ginny smiled at him, a blush colouring her freckled cheeks. She pulled a strand of hair behind an ear as he eyed the plate of what he assumed was either stew or soup. "You didn't have to…" he whispered weakly.

"Here, let me" she said, offering a spoonful of the meal.

Selenius looked at her brown eyes. "Really, Ginny" he insisted.

Ginny, however, was undeterred. "You've been more than kind to me and you have protected me, Sel. I think it's time I repay the favour" she smiled angelically, her face gaining a red shade that confused the man.

Selenius was, unfortunately, too weak to protest and, much to his eternal shame, was nursed by the girl. Still, it could have been worse. For some reason she really seemed invested in helping a miserable excuse of a dark wizard like him.

* * *

It was December and they had nothing. Harry huffed and puffed, but nothing helped to change their situation. He glared at the large poster Hermione and he had built with the spare parchment they had. They had written down their best ideas, on one side what the Horcruxes could be and on the other ideas on how to destroy them. He scrunched his face, angry at the few words.

Hermione seemed entertained between glancing at their poster, hang for them to examine from their eating table, and studying Harry every now and then, worried. Ron sat opposite her, scowling at a bowl of porridge.

"I can't believe the only things we have are 'fiend-fire' and 'basilisk venom'" Harry sighed, sitting on his chair, between Ron and Hermione. He ignored his own bowl of porridge, not in the mood to satiate his hunger. "What the heck was Dumbledore even thinking?"

"He couldn't have known" Hermione replied.

"No, Hermione, he must have known! He knew right away the Diary was a Horcrux and that a basilisk fang was what destroyed it" Harry shot back. "He could have told me beforehand, y'know, have me return to the Chamber of Secrets and pull a fang of my own! Why didn't he say anything?" He looked at the bushy-haired witch. Hermione bit her lower lip, hesitant to reply. "Alright, yeah, I was an idiot for not realizing sooner" he muttered "but I thought we had more time!"

"I don't think Dumbledore knew he was going to die either" Hermione mused.

"Hermione, don't you remember his arm?" Harry pondered, thoughtful.

"Yes, it looked… withered" Hermione slowly nodded.

"It was a curse from a Horcrux… the Gaunt family's ring, probably" Harry reasoned. "He knew he was dying… and yet, he didn't arm me with anything!" He roared, furious, as he stood up, ready to punch something.

"Harry…" Hermione pleaded. It was enough for emerald-eyed wizard to calm down and be sedated.

"Sorry, it's just that…" Harry sighed, returning to his seat. "Merlin, it was like Dumbledore purposely wanted me to be this useless. I trusted him and he didn't even bother training me to deal with the Horcruxes. I mean, he must have had something to at least detect them. Yet, all he ever showed me were memories of Tom?"

"Harry, he was neither omnipotent nor omnipresent" Hermione stated. "He wasn't perfect. He was rather flawed in his own way, and don't forget he had many other responsibilities that demanded his attention. He was the leader of the Order of the Phoenix, the Ministry needed his support ever so often and he was also in charge of protecting the school".

"And he failed at all of that" Harry leaned back, resigned. "For all his wisdom, all his knowledge… his biggest flaw was not being capable of trusting others".

"I think we are more at fault of that than he was" Hermione shook her head. "I mean, we all put our trust on him, we all had this unbreakable faith that he was almost like a Merlin reincarnate. He was a man – extremely powerful and in a level of his own – but a mortal nonetheless".

"Yeah, guess you are right" Harry conceded. "But it was both things: we trusted him, and he wasn't up to the challenge. He could have told Kingsley about the Horcruxes, or Tonks, and have the two join us in this hunt. Instead, he trusted me… and didn't bother giving me anything to help. Except that snitch". He frowned "what the heck was up with the gifts anyway? The Put-Outter for Ron, a snitch for me and a children's book for you? Why didn't he give me the Sword of Gryffindor?"

His eyes suddenly widened. He wasn't the only one. He soon saw that Hermione too had the same epiphany.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, grinning "the Sword!"

"It was soaked in basilisk venom and because it is goblin made…" Harry remembered from his talk with Dumbledore on his second year when he had asked about the object with which he had slain a basilisk.

"…the sword must have absorbed the venom!" Hermione finished.

"The Sword can destroy Horcruxes!" Harry concluded.

Hermione and Harry traded cheerful grin before she rushed to the board and added it to the list.

"Don't get your hopes up" Ron suddenly muttered, still scowling at his bowl. "Remember where the Sword is? If I remember right, it is in the Headmaster's office".

"Crap" Harry swore. "You know, this is the kind of thing Dumbledore should have foreseen! Why not leave it somewhere hidden for me to find and leave some clue for wherever I needed it?"

"Harry" Hermione sighed, unwilling to go back to trying to defend the late Headmaster.

"I say we go to Hogwarts" Ron stated.

Hermione and Harry looked at him incredulously. However, Ron was not to be deterred.

"We need at least to get basilisk fangs" Ron pointed at the poster. "So unless you want to walk around with that Horcrux" he aimed a finger at the hanging locket "we must destroy it somehow".

"Ron, we can't go to Hogwarts" Hermione told the redhead. "We have already discussed this. The wards would pick us in an instant and whoever is headmaster will probably alert You-Know-Who".

"Don't give me that crap!" Ron yelled. "All sorts of things got into Hogwarts with Dumbledore being none the wiser! Are you bloody going to tell me now we can't slip in like Sirius did?"

Hermione looked at Ron, intimidated by his outburst. Harry too was rather surprised by how much bite his friend's words had. Something was troubling him, and greatly so.

"We can't just sit around doing nothing!" Ron was on his feet, blue eyes burning with hatred and fury. It was more baffling than anything to see the redhead in such a state. "We are wasting our time like idiots!" He turned to Harry, and suddenly the bespectacled boy recoiled. When had Ron been this heated towards him? "I can't bloody believe you spent an entire summer doing nothing! Dumbledore gave you tips and bits of You-Know-Who to learn and all you did was - what? – sit around your room and think about Ginny?"

Harry couldn't help shrinking back. What had gotten into Ron? However, a part of him was also offended… and miserable.

"Ronald!" Hermione yelled admonishingly. "Don't shout at Harry!"

"OH, sod off!" Ron roared at her. She shrunk back too, frightened. "For all your smarts you aren't any better than him!" He pointed at Harry. "We are all a bunch of idiots that way over our heads! We are sitting here while people are dying! Fucking dying! There is a war out there and we are here, camping it out."

"Ron, we can't -" Harry mumbled, unable to formulate a response in his head. He was too shaken by Ron's new attitude.

"Shut it, Harry" Ron spat. "Don't tell me we wouldn't be safer finding and rallying the Order of the Phoenix! We need Aurors on our side! Kingsley, Tonks… heck, even Lupin or Bill would do! We need freaking help! We should have gone to them ages ago! But you are too proud, aren't you?" He squinted dangerously at Harry, who once again shrunk back. "You want to take down You-Know-Who by yourself. Harry bloody Potter, off to another adventure, dragging his two sidekicks with him! I've got news Harry: we aren't at Hogwarts anymore! There is no Dumbledore, no phoenix, no brother wands, no nonsense or bloody lucky stars this time!"

Harry blinked once, twice… and so forth, losing count and staring blankly at the red-haired young man. His mind was jammed with emotions, riddled with a thousand thoughts – clogged with the inability to comprehend what had overtaken Ron's good nature. It hurt, like a dagger in his chest, to have Ron of all people say that to him.

"Well?" Ron puffed, red-faced and winded by his long and loud rant.

"Ron… we don't even know where they are" Harry told his friend, in a soothed tone. "They are probably all in hiding. It would be risky for us as well as for them to go looking for whoever remains of the Order".

"We can't sit around" Ron growled.

"Ron, what's gotten into you?" Hermione asked, fighting back tears.

"What's gotten into me? Gotten into me?" Ron bared his teeth, almost like a wild beast ready to leash out at them. It was scary, to say the least. "My family is out there, gods know if they are- they are…" his anger was quickly replaced with absolute fear.

Suddenly, Harry understood. Ron was going mad with dread and worry, being cut from the outside world and unable to tell what was happening to his relatives. Was one brother dead? Had one been taken captive? Had they all been wiped out?

"And we are doing nothing!" Ron's anger was returning, but this time he was venting off on poor Hermione. "We are stuck! We are running out of food! We don't have enough books to learn good spells, or to learn anything of use! We don't know what's going on out there! Is You-Know-Who killing everyone we know? How many people are left?"

"Ron, we all knew what this hunt meant" Harry reminded his friend, trying – and failing – not to lose his own temper. "What the fuck did you think this would be like? That we would sit around a fire, with marshmallows and sing kumbaya?" As expected, the muggle references flew right over Ron's head. Still, whether he understood them or not didn't mean the redhead didn't catch the meaning.

"I fucking know that!" Ron retorted, although his face did pause with curiosity at the word 'kumbaya'. "But I fucking thought you had a plan! Or Dumbledore! Or you!" He glared at Hermione. "Instead here we are, like a trio of idiots waiting for your usual luck, right Harry? If we wait long enough you'll get a sign or maybe someone might show up to tell you what to do next, right? Heck, maybe even Snape might send a patronus to help when you least expect it, right?"

"If you don't want to stay, Ron, then leave!" Harry yelled.

Ron, for a moment, stared at his friend, shocked. Harry too couldn't believe the words that had escaped his mouth. Still, he didn't apologize. It was when Ron stubbornly scowled at Harry realized his mistake.

"Fine!" Ron spat. "I'll leave" he turned around.

"Ron, what-?" Hermione was saying, rushing to stop her boyfriend. When a hand reached over his shoulder, he recoiled, slapping it away.

"Don't give me that!" Ron hissed. Hermione stepped back, sniffing as she fought back tears. "You think I didn't notice? That I can't see how you two talk to each other? How you think I'm useless?" He turned to Harry "that's it, isn't it? Ron Weasley, Harry Potter's bloody sidekick". He looked at Hermione "and your stupid, lazy and emotionally-stunted boyfriend. Off with it" he spat "I hope you two can finally get to it and fuck each other! See that I care!"

And with that he went to his bunk bed and picked his meagre belongings. Harry went to Hermione, unsure what to do. In the end, she took the lead and latched onto him, breaking into tears. Harry couldn't believe this was happening. Ron was… leaving? Again? His jaw tightened as he looked at his distraught friend. She didn't deserve this.

Ron, as he walked right to the tent's exist, sent one last angry glance at the two, scowling when he saw Hermione in Harry's arms. The emerald-eyed boy glared at the redhead's back.

"I won't forgive you this time, Ron" he threatened.

Ron's hands were clenched into fists. "Fine" he murmured, stepping out and into the wilderness. As he left, Hermione's crying turn to inconsolable wailing. Harry struggled with her in his arms; his own heart ached, broken. How had things come down to this?


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV: Next steps**

"Today, I'm going to teach how to create your own dark-hands" Selenius solemnly informed Ginny. Said girl, however, was more interested in her surroundings. In hindsight, it was to be expected. It was, after all, her first time in Selenius' study.

At the centre of room was a large battered empty desk cracked by time and use. The walls, however, were a different matter entirely. To Ginny's left there was a large map of Britain, drawn with pitch-blank ink over a blank white paper. There were many harsh crosses cutting inside circles all around the country, with one defining circle around a spot with bold letters that read: "Forest of Dean". Considering Ginny had learned thus far that Selenius was hunting out there, she could safely assume his target laid there. Sadly, he wasn't willing to say who or what he was hunting, something about sensitive information.

To her right, there was a tall set of shelves filled with muggle objects – garbage really. It looked like something her father would keep, as a matter fact, a thought that disturbed her greatly. She saw sunglasses, a kite, different bolts of linen cloth, even a sword and some revolvers (not that she knew what the latter really were). Goggles and binoculars were on the top shelves and even a pile of chains could be seen at the bottom. Where he had gotten all of that was as much mystery as what Selenius wanted to catch in the Forest of Dean.

In front of Ginny and behind an amused Selenius was another tall set of shelves. These ones had many different jars and magical artefacts. From what she could see, though, most of the space was filled with worn-out books and ancient-looking tomes. It was only then her eyes landed on a smiling Selenius, his sapphire eye gleaming with a glint of amusement. She blushed, flustered, and looked away. These feelings of hers were getting ridiculous.

"Finally paying attention?" The man hummed with a smirk. She nodded, embarrassed. "Good. Refresh my memory, Ginny, what exactly IS a dark-hand?"

"A dark-hand is an entity created through the dark arts to serve their creator, like golems" Ginny replied.

"But what makes them so peculiar?" Selenius queried.

Ginny scrunched her face as he attempted to remember. "It was the abilities they had, wasn't it? Ashen Beasts can be used to scout, spy and stalk while Shadow Beings can actually infiltrate and suffocate targets" she answered hesitantly.

"Excellent" Selenius nodded, proud. Ginny beamed at him. "There are a multitude of types of Dark-Hands, each derived from different branches of the so-called 'dark arts'. Inferi, for instance, are the dark-hands of necromancers. In my case, I am a master of the Ashen Beasts because I am a Pyromancer. While they are useful for different tasks, like finding people or hunting prey, they do have some weaknesses, don't they?"

Ginny nodded, recalling what she had read. "While Ashen Beasts can't be destroyed through brute force and most spells, they are weak to water and light – they actually disintegrate under sunlight, so they are only useful in secluded areas or during the night" she recited as far as her memory allowed her to. "That's why you have everything boarded up, so that if you need them - your Ashen Beasts, I mean - they can show up to help".

"Yes" Selenius grumbled, irritable about that last detail. "A pesky weakness at that. Not only that but sunlight exorcises the ashes, rendering them useless for reuse, so you have to be very careful when summoning them. There is a way in which pyromancers avoid losing the ashes to the sun…" he turned around and picked a silver urn from the shelves. "These urns preserve the ashes needed for Ashen Beasts. In particular, as you will see later, the ashes in this urn are keyed to me and me alone". He placed the urn over the table. "There is one spell that dispels all Dark-Hands, though" he cryptically added.

"There is?" Ginny frowned. "I don't remember that".

"The Patronus Charm" Selenius informed the young woman. The redhead's eyes widened. "The mere light of a patronus is enough to make even the finest dark-hand crumble. Inferis tend to be an annoying exception, if created correctedly. A patronus is a powerful spell, one that is fuelled by-"

"The happiest memories, yes, I know" Ginny interrupted impatiently. "I know about the Patronus Charm, Sel". She smirked "I can actually cast it".

Selenius raised an eyebrow. "Eh… no, Ginny, a Patronus isn't fuelled by memories. It is joy, mirth or whatever word you want to use. Technically, any positive emotion which is strong enough in your being can do the trick, like confidence and affection. As long as you can remove any dark emotion from within and bring forth positive emotions into your heart at the time to cast it, the spell should work".

"No, you have it wrong, Sel. It is clearly memories" Ginny chuckled, stubbornly insisting that she knew better. "I've mastered it".

"I'm not surprised" Selenius, much to Ginny's surprise, shrugged. "I am not the most powerful wizard around and even I have mastered it". He hummed, amused. "As a matter of fact, half the Death Eaters can cast full corporeal patronus".

"What? No, that can't be right. It is a very hard spell to master!" Ginny exclaimed, taken aback. "And you must be kidding. Death Eaters – patronus? No, no, no" Ginny chuckled, disbelieving "the Patronus charm is a light spell. Dark Wizards can't cast it".

"Ginny…" Selenius stared at her incredulously. "There is no dark or light, only power. The labels are mostly Ministry propaganda and the result of its bid for control. I thought you knew that already. As for the Patronus, it is BECAUSE Death Eaters are dark wizards that they bother learning it at all. Thing is most of them don't go yelling it to the world. They prefer keeping it quiet for obvious reasons".

"No, you must be lying" Ginny shook her head, almost desperately. Such possibility went against everything she believed in. "Why would they learn it?" She wondered, confused.

"Because they understand how useful it is to protect themselves from dark-hands, dispel curses, hexes, jinxes, maladies and many dangerous beings. Trust me, when you learn dark magic, you get paranoid enough to learn the charm to fend off other dark wizards" Selenius explained.

"I-I didn't know it was that useful" Ginny mumbled.

"That's to be expected. Most dark wizards don't go telling other mages that the patronus is the most powerful tool against them – they actually rather spread lies about it or just keep it quiet. Trust me, the Patronus is easy to master" to make a point, Selenius lazily waved his wand, sighing an 'expecto patronum'. A bright light filled the room and a silvery raven erupted from the tip of the wand, only to fly around and onto Selenius' shoulder.

Ginny stared at the raven, wide-eyed. "The person who taught me the patronus said it was a hard spell to master" she murmured, shocked.

"And who, please tell, taught you?" Selenius hummed, stroking the silvery raven.

"Harry" Ginny weakly confessed. "Harry Potter" she repeated, eyes fixated on Selenius.

Selenius cursed inwardly, while at the same time thanked his lucky stars. That was a useful piece of information he would have to keep in mind as his Ashen Beasts closed on the trail of Potter and his merry sidekicks.

"And he told you it was a hard spell to learn? Or that you need strong memories?" Selenius frowned, only to nod in understanding. "Do you, by any chance, know who taught Potter?" He asked.

Ginny nodded, remembering it pretty well. "It was Professor Lupin, Remus Lupin" she answered, lost in thought.

Selenius, on his part, fought back a sneer. Lupin! He was the werewolf that Dumbledore had the gall to hire. The boldness of that senile old coot! Not only that, but if Selenius recalled correctly, Lupin had been actually a close friend of Potter's, the father. That last bit of information, now that he remembered, would be useful. After all, perhaps he should try tracking the werewolf too.

"I think I know where the misconception comes from" Selenius explained. "You see, Remus probably learned during the first rise of You-Know-Who, a time of darkness and fear. I doubt it was easy to drive forth positive emotions in such era. Given how little has been written about the patronus, I believe most actually learn the charm from person to person, giving room for misconceptions and errors". He frowned. "Did Potter teach others?"

"Yes, during my fourth year, actually" Ginny smiled at the memories of those days. "Dolores Umbridge" she recalled, saying her name with venom "was our DADA teacher and she wasn't teaching us anything. So, Hermione and Harry came up with this group, Dumbledore's Army, to learn defensive spells. It was a club of sorts to learn how to defend ourselves".

Ginny felt an eyebrow twitch as Selenius chortled. She was irritated by his chuckles. "Sorry, but – Dumbledore's Army? Really?" He laughed. A tear of mirth rolled down his cheek as he dissipated his patronus. "While I find the concept admirable, I can't believe the fanaticism of children for the old man. Do tell me, Ginny, did many fellow students learn how to cast a fully corporeal patronum?"

It was as she recalled images of many corporeal patronum prancing around in their ethereal white light that Ginny finally realized Selenius was right. How had so many learned a supposedly difficult spell and to an extent that was allegedly too advanced for their age? For Harry it was easy to believe, right? But what about others? So many managed to create corporeal Patronum, it was questionable it was actually that big of a deal.

"Yeah" her shoulder slumped with Selenius nodding sympathetically.

"Still, mastering the spell is easy. Using it, however, is the hard part" he admitted. "You see, it is hard to be happy or confident during a duel, or in the presence of a Dementor. Most times than not wizards and witches are unable to cast the spell properly because of the situation they found themselves in".

Ginny's mouth formed a large O shape. She had never thought about that. Then again, she had never realized how useful the Patronus Charm actually was. Harry had done an excellent job teaching. However, she had to admit that she might have overestimated his knowledge.

"What else did you learn?" Selenius asked, intrigued. This new information was vital as it would give him a glimpse of what to expect where it came to Potter's skills as a wizard.

"We practiced mostly spells like the Disarming Spell, Reducto, the Stunning Spell, the shield charm…" Ginny trailed off, shrugging. "We went through spells to protect ourselves – I don't think we did much more". She frowned. She could have sworn the Dumbledore's Army had been more useful than that. Had she really romanticized her meetings? Had she thought that Harry was really teaching them spells that they couldn't master on their own? Considering how often they actually met, she wasn't that surprised they didn't learn that many spells, now that she thought about it.

"Hold on a moment, you mentioned that Umbridge, THE Madam Umbridge, taught you?" Selenius blinked, recalling that bit. How had it gotten past him the first time?

"No, she had us read this ridiculous theory books" muttered Ginny. "Very stupid and boring books…" she added with a growl.

"That's the Ministry for you. Like most governments, they rather take away power from the people" Selenius nodded. "Umbridge was a particularly nasty case, although I know her better for her rather…" here, Ginny somewhat amusing the way Selenius grimaced "harsh bills. She was a strong proponent of many _"anti-dark"_ laws" he added marking the quotation marks with his fingers as he rolled his eyes with disdain.

"She was what?!" Ginny cried out. Umbridge couldn't possibly be a light witch, could she?

"Ginny, she was of the idea the Ministry was like this deity you had to worship. Having people learn and record their own spells outside the Ministry's supervision is seen as both dark and evil – teaching it to your own children is seen as something far worse. Weren't you taught about the Grimoire burnings of 1971?" Selenius frowned, bemused.

"Ehm… not really" Ginny mumbled. "Professor Binns was more into other stuff".

Selenius shook his head, exasperated. "I know that, I had him too you know" he chuckled. "But your father must have known. It was one reason, if not THE reason Voldemort gained so much traction in the following years" Selenius looked at Ginny, who started blankly at him. She didn't have the faintest clue what he was talking about. "You don't know?" Selenius cried out, shocked. "You… oh, of course, Dumbledore was the Headmaster" he rolled his eyes, sighing with resignation.

Ginny did feel a pang of anger at that. She respected Dumbledore after that. However, a part of her was intrigued, to say the least. Instead of moving straight to explaining, Selenius went to the shelves behind him and searched inside tomes. When he turned around, Ginny found him holding a massive album book of sorts. She had seen him with it before, as a matter of fact, and she quickly remembered as he laid it down. It was where Selenius kept different cut-outs of different newspapers with news Selenius found either interesting or worth keeping, like Harry's shocking infiltration of the Ministry, the Triwizard Tournament, the mentions of attacks on Hogwarts and the Death of Dumbledore. This time, though, he opened the album to a cut-out of some newspaper she had never heard about.

"The Circe's Chronicles…" Selenius whispered "it was a small newspaper the Ministry closed in 1971 because of this". He pointed a finger at the moving image, which showed a large roaring bonfire.

Ginny walked over to Selenius' side, studying the image. To her horror, she quickly realized that there were books in the bonfire. Worse, every now and then a person would move into the frame and shove a book into the flames. The pile was massive, to say the least. But nothing was compared to what she spotted next. It was a man standing next to the fire: Albus Dumbledore.

Albus Dumbledore looked exactly like Ginny remembered, with a grandfatherly visage. Even with only greys to see, she could imagine some ridiculous set of colours on his attire. However, his face was sober and his eyes glimmered with something as he stared into the fires.

The redhead's gaze went to the title of the cut-out. "Ministry burn books! Dumbledore applauds the action!" For some reason, those words sent a chill down her spine. She started reading the text with disbelief.

 _Today is a sad day for our beloved civilization. Dear readers, while we know that as it stands there is a chance that the corrupt and inept government of ours finishes our humble writing press, we as proud mages cannot sit idle while these delinquents undo the pillars of our society. Today, the Ministry of Magic has, in its official capacity of blundering tyrants, decided to burn every tome that has been confiscated for one ridiculous reason or other._

 _It was only last summer that the Ministry promised to enhance security measures against the rise of the so called 'Dark Mages', as well as an increase in 'safety precautions' to impede mages from 'accidentally injuring themselves'. What followed was the mass prosecution of the already hunted scholars and defenders of knowledge, long deemed as Dark Wizards for the so-called 'evil ambitions'. Is it truly a crime to preserve the amassed knowledge of hundreds of years? Is it despicable to defend the right of people to preserve the knowledge they worked so hard to attain?_

 _"_ _It is not a matter of freedom's being infringed here" the esteemed Headmaster and grand Inquisitor himself Albus Dumbledore told one of our reporters. "There are dark forces on the move that we must stop before it is too late. Unless we act now we might be plunging our people into the darkest years of our time. Believe me when I tell you, there is a great evil on the rise, an unimaginable evil that threatens the very future of our people"._

 _"_ _Don't you think today's atrocity will only embolden the true evil wizards and witches out there?" One of our journalists inquired._

 _"_ _There are many people who seek power, who seek to quell the thirst for more in the endless pursuit to satisfy their ill-gotten ambitions, who will prove to be threats unless we make sure they will never attain that which they seek. It is our duty that their hands never reach such knowledge as this" Dumbledore replied, before leaving._

 _This, as we have said many times before, is a flawed logic since it assumes that the Ministry is both competent and capable enough to not only find and capture every single last book with so-called 'dark magic', but that there won't be an increase in the black markets or illegal trade of grimoires. By removing these books from people, Dumbledore and his government puppets are condemning the entire population to ignorance and vulnerability. When no one understands the true nature of the dark arts, as labelled and re-defined by the Ministry in 1859, the few who do will possess a definite advantage, to the point a new Dark Lord might rise in our midst, and no one will possess the knowledge to stop him or her._

 _While the Ministry proclaims that these measures will stop the rise of Dark wizards and witches, we, the people who have at least some semblance of intelligence, know that this will lead to a Dark Age, not where evil prevails – although it wouldn't be surprised if that were to happen – but where we will fall deeper into the stagnation we've been suffering since the ceaseless growth of the pathetic Ministry. Our own culture has already started to collapse with it, unable to innovate for fear of developing 'dark magic', the heavy bureaucracy and taxation involved in research of spells and gods know what else. Meanwhile, blatant reformists like Dumbledore are tearing down our traditions, trying to make us, the people with magic, be more like the muggles. If Dumbledore and the Ministry expect for a new 'Light' Era to dawn, we at the Circe's Chronicles have one thing to say: wake up, you fools!_

Ginny read and yet she couldn't believe what she was learning. Was this true? Well, she didn't believe Selenius falsified newspapers. Moreover, the more she thought about it, the more she believed it. So much suddenly made sense, and little clues and pieces she had never put much thought into started to fall nicely into a large puzzle she had wistfully ignored.

Her father had always boasted of performing dozens of "raids"… had he gotten inside people's houses and taken whatever was deemed "dark"? Had the Ministry burned books like those she had read under Selenius' tutelage, all of which were rather harmless, if not enlightening? The magical world was stagnant, still going on with the same things used for decades, unable to evolve… a Dark Lord rose and no one was able to stop him… and he was feared for his incredible powers… powers thought to be beyond anyone's imagination. No wonder he was unstoppable.

"You don't think people joined You-Know-Who because of blood supremacy, do you?" Selenius scoffed. "Most of them joined him because he promised a new era, one without a meddling Ministry, one with the freedom to explore magic to its full extent, for each person to have free reign with their powers, to pursue knowledge to their heart's contempt, to be ambitious and thrive…"

Ginny sullenly stared at the fires in the picture. As much as she didn't want to, she had to admit that the reality she had long perceived, the one she had ignored for being a sassy girl at Hogwarts, was far darker than she had thought. A world so controlled and regulated by a power-hungry government… emboldened by Dumbledore. That last bit, once again, didn't seem far-fetched. If anything, she had long gotten that impression of Dumbledore, as the defender of the Light. The man had been an influential figure for so long, and things had gone downhill…

"But let's leave this topic behind" Selenius decided with a sigh, resting a comforting hand on Ginny's shoulder. The girl turned to him, blushing. "Before I teach you how to prepare the ashes for Ashen Beasts, what are the basic three rules of Pyromancy?"

"Don't play with fire, don't fan the flames and there's no smoke without a fire" Ginny sighed, exasperated. "How many times are you going to repeat that?" He groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose with visible annoyance.

"As many times until they burn in you" Selenius hummed, already used to the young woman's bouts of impatience. "The last thing I want is for you to get burned out of pure stupidity". With a smug, teasing smirk he added "it would make me look back".

Ginny gave off a rather rude scoff, rolling her eyes at the Pyromancer. Said man chuckled, amused at his own joke. The young redhead, though, was unable to resist Selenius' charming smile and quickly found herself grinning at him, amused.

* * *

Ron gasped, all of a sudden, as he jumped out of unconsciousness. His body buzzed with life, like he had been electrocuted. He shot up from where he laid, only to realize, much to his surprise, that there were a few wands aimed at him. His blue eyes wearily looked at them, only to trail them to their owners. It was then that he allowed himself a moment to hold his breath, if only with confusion rather than fear.

In front of a sitting Ron, in the middle of some wooden floor, were none other than Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin and Charlie Weasley, second-oldest brother of Ron. The witch was thin and average in height, with pink spiky hair and a heart-shaped face, his purple eyes staring wryly at their prisoner. Remus, the eternally haggard werewolf, with long strands of dirty blonde hair, studied Ron, sniffing the air carefully. Charlie looked like he was constipated, probably struggling with the idea that this person who resembled his little brother could be an impostor.

"Wow, guys, it's me!" Ron exclaimed, trying to avoid an gruesome incident.

"If you are Ron then you can answer this" Charlie gulped. "When and how did you develop a phobia for spiders?"

Ron shuddered at the unbidden memory. "When Fred and George transformed my teddy into a big, ugly tarantula" he swore. That memory still haunted him.

Charlie grinned. "It's definitely him" he chuckled. "Only Ronniekins reacts like that".

"Don't call me that!" Ron hissed.

"Yep, it's him" Charlie nodded.

Tonks and Remus released a long winded breath, putting their wands back on their grey, long robes. As a matter of fact, now that Ron noticed, they were all wearing just that. Was it a uniform or something? He turned around, taking in his surroundings. He appeared to be inside some kind of shed, if the muggle equipment was anything to go by. A floating orb above eerily showered them all under red light.

"Sorry about that, Ronald" Remus offered a hand, which Ron gladly accepted. "But we had to make sure it was really you".

As the young redhead got to his feet, he quickly recalled his last moments before being rudely stunned.

"Wait" Ron froze "YOU knocked me out?"

Tonks sheepishly chuckled. "Sorry mate" she shrugged with a devious smirk. It reminded Ron of Fred and George's own mischievous smile that promised all sorts of misdeeds, if only with the implicit threat of "I can make it look like an accident".

Whatever Ron wanted to say next died down on his throat as Charlie hugged him, almost as strong as their mother would.

"Damn it, bro!" Charlie said, concerned. "You had us so worried!" He broke the embrace, stepping back. "Mom and Dad told us you went missing and- and we all assumed the worst".

"Really?" Ron frowned. "I doubt You-Know-Who would have been quiet about capturing me".

"I wouldn't be so sure" Remus shook his head, a dark shadow covering his face.

"What do you mean?" Ron wondered, his gut telling him he was about to receive bad news.

"It- it's Ginny" Charlie swallowed a hard lump. It was only as Ron's blue eyes stared his older brother's that he noticed the exhaustion that marred the face of the usually carefree dragon-tamer. "She's missing – kidnapped".

"Oh gods, no" Ron gasped, horrified.

"I- I'm sorry, Ron" Charlie mumbled.

"We must find her!" Ron cried out. "Th-they could be doing anything to her!" just imagining it made him sick. Those bloody Death Eaters…

"Please, don't make it harder on us" Charlie pleaded. "Mom is inconsolable and- and dad isn't any better".

"Come on, Ron, we'll get you to headquarters" Remus patted the young man on the back, almost comfortingly. "There is nothing that can be done now but fight back as we can".

"He needs to be sworn in, Remus" Tonks interceded. "We can't have him wandering around without an oath of secrecy!"

"She's right" Charlie nodded. "Ron" he turned to address his younger brother "are you willing to join us, the Order of the Phoenix? This is your last opportunity. If you don't want to, then we'll take you to France where some allies of ours will keep you safe. I'm sure Mom and Dad… and the rest of us would appreciate having you somewhere safe".

Ron stared at his brother, dubious. He suddenly wasn't sure if this was the right option. If he was sworn in, it could mean he would have to share secrets… like the Horcruxes. That information couldn't spread out, or else Voldemort would eventually hear about the hunt and move the Soul-anchors. Then again, what was the bloody point? Harry didn't have a clue where to find them and, as it was, they had no idea how to destroy them. He suddenly looked at Tonks, remembering the Aurors that were part of the Order, and Bill, a curse-breaker. They had better chances than three seventeen year old idiots camping across Britain.

"Alright, I want to join in" Ron, with a shaky voice, decided. He added a resolute nod after that, if only to make a point.

"There is no turning back, Ron. Once in, you won't be able to leave the Order" Remus warned.

"I know" Ron nodded, his determination washing his doubts away.

"Here" Remus handed Ron his wand back. "Point it to your heart and repeat after me…"

And that was what Ron did. Word after word, he recited the Oath of allegiance to the Order of the Phoenix, promising to fight against the Eternal Darkness and stand true to their ideals. However, once he finished the oath, with a fateful "so mote it be", he suddenly forgot about the entire thing. He actually stood there, with a dumbfounded face, for a long moment.

"What was that?" Ron wondered.

"Sorry, but we made it so that no one could learn the Oath from anyone's memories" Remus said as he offered an apologetic smile. "Come on, we'll call in a meeting. There is a lot to discuss".

"Yeah, like where is Harry" Charlie nodded.

"And Hermione" Tonks added.

"I don't know where they are" Ron told them as they filled out of the shed, the floating orb above them rushing in front of them and right over Remus' shoulder. "I… I left them".

"Why?" A bewildered Tonks asked.

"I-I set out for help" Ron half-lied. That's why he left, after all, but it wasn't the whole truth. "Dumbledore left us an important mission, or at least he left it to Harry. Let's just say it wasn't going so well so one of us had to leave and find the Order". He hoped they bought the lie. He felt remorseful as it was.

Ron eyed his new surroundings, noticing it was dawn across a small manor. With three floors, thatched roof and a medieval touch to it, the place looked expensive. All around, Ron saw tall stone walls forming an extensive perimeter around the house. Hooded wizards, clad entirely in pale grey long robes, patrolled the wall. The place looked rather luxurious, to the point Ron had to stare at it for a while in disbelief.

"This is a safe house we established before Dumbledore's death" Remus explained. "It is our new headquarters now". He grinned tiredly as he carried on, all the while leading Ron towards the manor. "Technically it was supposed to house muggle-borns and their muggle relatives in case You-Know-Who started persecuting them, but since we got aid from the French, particularly Madam Olympe, we had been able to evacuate all non-combatants to France".

"The French are helping us?" Ron gasped as his eyes widened.

"Ehm… not really. Officially the French government isn't doing anything to aid us. Unofficially, a few friendly French people are doing what they can. For example, muggle-borns who haven't been allowed to Hogwarts this year because of the blood-supremacists in charge have been enrolled to Beauxbatons" Tonks clarified.

"I doubt the French are happy about that" Ron snorted, as they entered the manor. The place was Just as Ron imagined it would be: spacious and filled with different muggle decorations, like immobile pictures, electronic devices and weird stuff (were those horseshoes on the doorframe?).

"On the contrary, they are profiting from the war" rebutted Remus. "Dumbledore gave all of his money to fund the evacuation and education of whoever else was persecuted by You-Know-Who and his followers. I don't think we'd been this successful otherwise".

They walked down a narrow corridor and straight to a massive, well-lit dining hall large enough for a hundred people. At the moment, there was only one large rectangular table that was spacious enough for only thirty people to stand around it. To Ron's surprise, a whole lot of mages were already standing there. There were around fifteen in total including Ron's other brothers, Fred, George and Bill, as well as his two parents, both of which beamed at his arrival. His mother in particular nearly assaulted him with a chocking hug, one which might have constricted him to pieces.

"Ronald! Oh, Ronald!" Cried Molly Weasley as tears wetted Ron's chest. "You are safe!" She suddenly broke the hug to glare threateningly at him. Ron winced and shrunk back, much to the laughter of his brothers. "Ronald Bilius Weasley, of all the stupid things you have ever done, THIS is the most absurdly idiotic of them all!" she screamed in her shrilly voice, and with puffy bloodshot eyes.

"Little Brother, you are in one piece!" Fred joked.

"We thought you would have gotten a scar by now" George added humorously.

"Or ten" they chorused.

"Enough, both of you" Molly admonished. "Don't go joking about that" she chided, but her tone gave away her sadness and worry. It lacked its usual power and determination.

"It's good to see you well, son" Arthur sighed with relief, walking over to Ron. "You had us really worried".

"I'm really sorry about that" Ron mumbled apologetically. "But I had to go. Dumbledore gave Harry a really important mission and-"

"Where is Harry?" Remus suddenly interrupted, concerned.

Ron grimaced, a knot forming in his gut. This was going to be a hard topic to deal with. "He's in the Forest of Dean, with Hermione. They are safe" there was a wave of relief as the gathered people sighed.

"Not for long, they won't" Kingsley remarked gravely. The dark-skinned Auror looked like he had seen better days – given the current times he probably had - with a fatigued face and bags under his eyes. "According to our sources, there has been an increase of Snatcher activity over there".

"Snatchers?" Ron asked.

"The Ministry is paying a reward to all muggle-borns and reported traitors that are captured. Snatchers are a bunch of misfits that go around making a living of those rewards" a stranger grunted.

"Yes, and it would seem some muggle-borns have been spotted there" Kingsley carried on. "But they are the least of our worries. You-Know-Who has gained a new powerful ally. We aren't sure who or from where this person comes from, but this wizard will be trouble".

"A powerful ally?" Ron inquired.

"Don't worry about him. He's taken the oath" Remus reassured Kingsley.

"He did what?!" Molly Weasley screamed, outraged. "Ronald, how could you?!"

"This is my fight as much as anyone's!" Ron retorted.

"B-but…" Molly started to tear up. "I-I can't lose another child…"

"Then we need to stop You-Know-Who as quickly as possible" Ron interceded, feeling guilty for addressing his mother in such a way.

"With the Dark Hunter, Molly, I don't think there will be many safe spaces" Tonks quizzically chimed in.

"Dark Hunter?" Ron frowned at the female Auror.

"It's this new ally of You-Know-Who that Kingsley mentioned" Remus sighed wearily. "We know little to nothing about him, other than that he somehow managed to break into a Fidelius…" the werewolf turned to Ron's parents "he broke into the Burrow".

"He broke into a Fidelius?!" The red-headed boy squealed, horrified. Ron's eyebrows shot up in the air. "B-but that's impossible! He must have gotten the secret from someone!"

"That's what we thought at first" Kingsley agreed "but all evidence suggests that, no, he managed to get into the house without actually knowing the secret".

"He did… what? Stumble in?" Ron was completely flabbergasted. The Fidelius was supposed to be the ultimate haven. As a matter of fact, it was a spell so useful, so powerful, not even Voldemort could hope to break through without inside help.

"No, the Fidelius is impervious to that kind of flaw" Remus shook his head. "We don't know how it was done, Ron, but it happened. Somehow, this person did it – a feat not even You-Know-Who could achieve". His face turned to one of discomfort. "Our best guess is that he somehow got the location from… ehm…" he gulped "Ginny".

Molly immediately sought comfort in the arms of his distraught husband, while the Weasley sons looked downcast and miserable at the thought. They weren't the only ones.

Ron paled at that. "She knew the secret?" He wondered.

"No, but it is no coincidence she went missing a pair of weeks before _he_ nearly got your parents" Remus sighed.

"I had trouble sleeping… with Ginny and you missing, I just couldn't rest and- and then I-I thought I heard something and…" Molly retold, sobbing. "He stood there – dark ice-blue, evil eyes staring down at me. He came so close…"

Ron felt his legs weaken under his weight. It was so unbelievable and terrifying to think his parents had been so close to being captured. What manner of wizard had the power to break through the Fidelius? What had this person done to Ginny and how did he use her to get to the Burrow?

Kingsley passed a stack pictures to Ron, who stared at them. "This is the only picture we have of him" he told the red-haired boy.

Clad in a militaristic trench coat, he stood tall and imperiously under the moonlight, like a soldier on duty, staring dead ahead. Given how a hood hid his head and the picture was taken from a rather distant spot, one that was probably safe, it was impossible to tell who this man was. He didn't look like someone so dangerous. With a frown, he moved on to the next pictures in the stack.

"We believe this person can summon those animals" Kingsley explained, pointing a finger at a ghost-wolf that was sniffing a tree in the picture. The next photos all happened to be of those creatures, some in open fields, others in deserted towns and a handful in forests. Coincidentally, they appeared to have been taken during night-time. "Dark-Hands… creations of dark magic that do their master's bidding. These ones are obviously meant to find whoever the Dark Hunter wishes…

"He is searching for something. We thought he was hunting for Order members, but after two months, and recording the places we've been able to spot the wolves, we believe he is actually looking for one person in particular" Kingsley informed Ron.

"Harry" Ron gasped, turning to gape at Kingsley.

"It was a safe bet to assume Harry would be at the Burrow" Remus reasoned. "And given the interest You-Know-Who has on Harry, I wouldn't be surprised he sent his best tracker after him".

"But how do these wolves work?" Ron asked.

"Unfortunately, we don't count with many books on the dark arts to really know" Tonks muttered. "We aren't even sure they are Dark-Hands. But, well, since they only appear at night, don't look like anything light magic could create… we can only assume they are Dark-Hands. What type? We've got no idea. Our best guess is that this Dark Hunter is a Pyromancer – legend has it they can master both fire and ash, like these wolves".

"But we can't be sure without risks" Remus stated. "They could be Shadow constructs or something else entirely".

Ron studied the ash wolves. They looked nightmarish in form, like something right out of a horror story. Their glowing eyes probably were terrifying to look at and their size was intimidating enough in real life. To think those monsters were nearing on his friends made Ron's blood freeze.

"I must find Harry and Hermione – I must warn them" Ron told them.

"We've been trying to find Harry and Hermione for months now" Remus sighed tiredly. "Unfortunately, we both know Hermione is too good a witch to let anyone find her".

"But you have some way of finding them, right? I mean, you wouldn't have left them without a way to return" Charlie smiled, too sure of that fact.

Ron grimaced. "No… but at the same time we didn't know things were THIS bad" he mumbled.

There were waves of groans and curses.

"So you left without a plan on how to reunite with them" Remus summarized.

"Hey, we didn't have any other option, y'know" Ron scoffed.

"What exactly have you been up to all this time?" Someone, a stranger, wondered.

Ron paused, staring at the man. He was a slim, old man with grey hair and a scowl planted over his visage, one that made this stranger look like a badly chiselled wooden face. He eyed the rest, who waited for an answer.

"No one can give away any of the secrets spoken here" Kingsley reassured Ron. "The Oath makes sure of that. Not even through Legimency".

Ron still hesitated. This was a big thing, not only as a secret but as something he had been entrusted with by Harry. At the same time, Ron knew he would be right in sharing the truth. It was the best option if they hoped to defeat Voldemort.

"W-we've been…" Ron gulped. Hopefully, Harry and Hermione would understand. Clenching his hands into fists and mustering his confidence, he continued. "We've been looking for the secret of You-Know-Who's immortality. You see, Dumbledore discovered that You-Know-Who created these soul-anchors, pieces of his own soul that makes him stick in the world of the living even without a body".

"And he sent Harry to destroy these… soul anchors?" Remus frowned, lost with the explanation.

"Wait, wait, hold on a moment there, dude" Tonks begged, scrunching her face with the utmost bewilderment. "Moldyshorts tore his soul to pieces?"

Ron nodded. Many of the Order members traded baffled faces, if not incredulous ones. A handful of them were a bit more… sceptical. Even Kingsley, who was a seasoned Auror, was having a hard time accepting that.

"You can actually do that?" Someone asked from those Ron didn't recognize.

"Wouldn't that kill you or something?" Another wondered, flabbergasted.

"Let's see if we can understand" Kingsley slowly stated, his face strained with concentration. "You-Know-Who split his soul into pieces, which he use to remain in the world of the living, even after getting disembodied. So… Dumbledore, fully aware of this, sent Harry Potter of all people to hunt down these – what did you call them? – soul anchors so that You-Know-Who will be mortal again".

"Yes, that's the gist of it" Ron nodded. It was a bit perplexing to see adults having a difficult time grasping such an easy concept.

"It still doesn't really help us much, does it?" Bill sighed. "Even if You-Know-Who DOES become mortal again…" he crossed his arms "I doubt anyone will be able to kill him any time soon".

"Hey, am I the only pissed off that Dumbles didn't trust any of us with this?" Tonks interceded, her hair shifting into an angry crimson.

"Nymphadora, now is not the time…" Remus sighed tiredly.

"Don't call me that!" Tonks cried out, his hair starting to glow with fury.

"Don't be a child" Remus, impassive if not annoyed, quipped.

"Don't be a wet mutt" Tonks growled back.

Something wild and dangerous flashed on the grey eyes of the werewolf. He scowled at Tonks, baring his teeth at her. Ron was suddenly frightened by the man, as he had never seen the professor act so… rabidly.

"Enough, both of you!" Arthur stepped in. "Harry and Hermione are lost somewhere out there, surrounded by Snatchers and chased by perhaps the most powerful Pyromancer to date". The gathered people sobered at that.

"Not to mention they have been given a very important task by Dumbledore" Kingsley added, although he did look displeased by that fact. "We must find and bring them here".

There were a widespread wave of "hear, hear" and "ayes".

"Dumbledore entrusted them with this for a reason. Moreover, this is Harry we are talking about. We've all heard of what he has been able to accomplish" Remus pointed out. "Perhaps we shouldn't interfere…"

Some people seemed to find that point of view agreeable.

"Like you have for most of Harry's life?" Tonks crudely grunted, much to the werewolf's ire.

Ron felt rather uncomfortable with the way Tonks was acting. The last time they had met she hadn't been this antagonist or ill-tempered.

"This is bullshit!" Tonks spat. "Dumbles clearly lost his marbles ages before he kicked the bucket. He trusted three seventeen year old students who haven't even finished Hogwarts instead of, I don't know, Kingsley?" The dark-skinned auror didn't voice it, but he did look like he agreed with that sentiment. "Harry has vital information to take down Snake-Face, information that the Order needs in its mission to take the bastard down".

"Not to mention the danger they are in" Molly nodded eagerly. The other Weasleys agreed with her.

"That doesn't answer a basic question" Remus sighed, annoyed. "How are we going to find them?" That seemed to sour the mood in the room. "By searching for Harry – and Hermione – we could very well be leading the Dark Hunter or Snatchers to them too".

"So you want to sit back and do nothing?" Tonks huffed.

"No" Remus seemed to struggle with his anger at that. Ron had to wonder since when Tonks and Remus were in such bad terms? "I am only suggesting caution".

Undeniably, Remus was correct on that. Ron, however, felt sick with the knowledge that he had, after all, deserted his two friends, now that he wanted to find them. It was chilling, stomach-churning realization, one which felt like a punch to the gut. He had left and hadn't even thought of returning. True, he had been a bit angry and he stubbornly left if only to make a point… but he couldn't deny the stupidity of such decision.

The thought of the Dark Hunter capturing Hermione made him feel like his entire world was collapsing. He had to find a way to find her, and Harry, before the Dark Hunter did.

* * *

 **Author Note: Please, review! I'd like to hear what you think of the story thus far.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter V: Live today, die tomorrow  
**

Necromancy, the magical art of death. Most people thought it was a relatively failed branch of magic. It wasn't surprising as very few wizards had delved into such art. Then again, there were idiots who were too ignorant of the dark arts as a whole to really spread misinformation around. For example, Necromancy was the most dangerous and devastating branch of magic in the known world. People, sadly, didn't know that, because most didn't know Necromancers didn't just raise the dead to do their bidding, but also had powers over plagues, diseases and infections.

Thankfully for Selenius, he was not most people and he was fully aware of the capabilities of Necromancers. It was of some comfort to know that, given the fact how he was currently fighting off an entire gas-station filled with Inferi. These undead were not the poorly made type, who were slow and weak. No, they were the ones created properly, as fast as their living counterparts and with a much stronger drive than humans.

Selenius dodged a swipe from one of the Inferi, before slicing the creature's head off with his flaming sword. He quickly stumbled back as yet another Inferi, an undead woman this time, which tried to take a hold of him. Noticeably, these Inferi were far more dangerous than the normal type, a fact that could be recognized from the sickly green miasma that came off their mouths and pores. A bite or whiff from that and Selenius was sure he would join this legion of walking dead. At the moment, however, he was thankful he used a gas-mask.

"Wretched thing!" Selenius spat as he sliced the undead woman, the corpse collapsing under the magical flames of the blade. He turned around, towards the shop of the gas station, where more Inferi were coming out, moaning and groaning.

There already laid ten defeated Inferi, scorched to a crisp and in pieces, all of which tried to ambush Selenius as he came to investigate. The Dark wizard had had no intention of confronting Inferi, after all, but when his Ashen Beasts summon him after finding what looked like a mysterious attack on a muggle location, curiosity got the better of him. One thing led to another and now there he was, facing off a Necromancer's mess.

Selenius drew out his revolver from inside his coat and shot the charging horde, purging the corpses with fire. Apparently, some Necromancer wannabe had decided to foolishly set a trap for muggles and spread a plague. Idiot. As Selenius blew the heads of the Inferi, each catching in fire instantly, he cursed whoever had been negligent enough to create those undead.

Click – click – click. Selenius' eyes jumped over to his gun, panic rising into his chest as he run out of bullets. He glanced at the shop entrance, where more Inferi, from a small skinny child to a massive fat man, all part of the undead, marched out, followed by a cloud of green disease. Soon enough, they were rushing towards the Pyromancer.

"Just great" Selenius muttered as he pulled his revolver inside his coat. He pulled out his wand, as the first Inferi closed in. "Reversio!" Sparkles shot of the piece of wood, straight to the Inferi's head. With a loud CRACK, the Inferi's head spun around its shoulder, ending backwards. In a morbidly funny turn of events, the Inferi didn't go down but rather kept moving, if only now disoriented and unable to coordinate its body.

"Reversio!" Selenius repeated to the next Inferi, and then the next one.

While it wouldn't destroy the Inferi, it would make them stumble around, hands reaching out and unable to properly walk or attack. After all, while they could survive having their heads turned backwards, they weren't too intelligent to coordinate their movements.

Selenius shook his head at the Inferi, all seven of them, trying to move around, in vain. One tripped over one of his fallen brethren, while the rest remained standing. They no longer looked intimidating. If anything, they appeared extremely pathetic. He cursed his stupidity for not figuring it earlier instead of wasting his prized bullets. To think a simple household spell could prove so deadly in someone's hand. For all his wand's faults, mediocre spells like 'Reversio' came out as powerful as Selenius' needed.

"Poor bastards" Selenius sighed as he distanced himself from the Inferi. "No one deserves such wretched Fate…" he added ruefully. It seemed he was saying that more and more often the more his hunt extended…

He sheathed his blade and, with his free hand, summoned a fireball onto his open palm. With an accurate throw, he sent the fireball straight to the nearest Inferi's head, igniting the moving corpses. He proceeded to do the same with the others, until each and every single one of the Inferi was a burning heap on the asphalt.

Selenius looked around, pondering where in the nine hells were the Aurors, or at least Death Eaters. If those Inferi had remained standing for any longer, the Statute of Secrecy would have been endangered. Seeing the living-dead would send the muggles into a panic, and that meant drawing unwanted attention to the magical community. The last thing the Dark Lord would want would be to take over Britain only to be discovered by the muggles. At least, that would be what Selenius would expect. One rarely knew those days, though.

The dark wizard scowled as he remembered all the close calls of the past months. Death Eaters and the Dark Lord's allies were getting out of hand. First those giants that had almost devoured Selenius, then Dementors showing up here and there to try to suck Selenius' soul and now this, Inferi, the remains of some negligent Death Eater no doubt. Even the Acromantulas were getting too bold – much to Selenius' haunting chagrin. They were out of control, all of them, and unless the Dark Lord did anything to rein them in, the muggles would clearly discover them all. Their death toll probably was in the thousands already, and that was counting out the muggles killed by Death Eaters.

Speaking of Dementors… Selenius raised an eyebrow as he saw the lights flicker across the gas station. They were spreading like a plague, with all the misery going around. Selenius shook his head, lamenting the state of his beloved magical community, as he searched for his Enfield Rifle from inside his coat. He pulled it out and checked the bullets. There were enough. With a faint smile he undid the safety and searched for the godforsaken nightmares.

Selenius counted a pair, strays no doubt, searching for someone to feast on. They were flying above, unseen by muggles. They might have been lured by remnants of Necromatic magic, but Selenius was not knowledgeable enough on either those nightmares or necromancy to know for sure. Sadly for them, there were no muggles to eat on. That didn't stop their cloaked creepy figures from turning towards Selenius. The dark wizard, however, had other thoughts. With precise aim, he shot his rifle at the first Dementor. It disintegrated in a black mist upon contact with the bullet. The second one had the same fate.

"Bloody hell" Selenius muttered. "What is the Dark Lord even doing?"

That was a question that seemed to be bothering Selenius more and more often. Stranger yet was that no one had yet to show up to clean the mess. Technically that was the Ministry's job. Apparently, though, the Ministry was being more incompetent than usual. That meant Selenius would have to do the job himself. Thankfully, this was a gas station, and Selenius was a Pyromancer… destroying the evidence would be easy.

"Where could that bloody Harry Potter be?" Selenius pondered as he lazily started spraying everything with fuel. Thank the gods he wasn't ignorant in the ways of the muggles.

* * *

ACHOO!

Harry wrinkled his nose after he sneezed. With a sleeve, he rubbed his nose, feeling itchy. He muttered, hoping he wasn't catching something. That was the last thing he needed. Reluctantly, he walked back into the tent. It looked deserted… although it wasn't. Hermione was on her bed, crying or sobbing as usual, and there he was, standing like an idiot unable to make her feel better.

If there was one thing Harry would never forgive Ron, it would be the way he broke Hermione's spirit. She cried and cried, unable to overcome the abandonment. A part of Harry was admittedly surprised she had taken it so badly. They fought regularly and they tended to be at each other's throats. Yes, they fancied each other, but from Harry's point of view it looked more like they were just going for the safest option, the person they knew the best rather than actually consider other people to date. They certainly didn't act like any couple he had seen at Hogwarts, not to mention with how inherently different they were.

Harry went to the table, guiltily glancing towards Hermione's "room" as he heard the faint sobbing. He reached for a pocket, only to hesitate, taking another glimpse at Hermione's direction. With a grave sigh he pulled out the Marauder Map and activated it. What had been an unblemished piece of parchment became an elaborate map of Hogwarts. Just like the day before, and the day before that, a name was missing. He searched and searched, only to lean back, dismayed. Ginny was nowhere.

The Boy-Who-Lived put the map, once inactive, back into his pocket, distraught. He hoped his ex-girlfriend was somewhere safe, but a part of him, the darker part, told him she probably was not. He closed his eyes and tried to fight the sadness and exasperation. Hermione was broken, Ron was gone and Ginny missing. Harry didn't want to know how the rest of the world was holding up. Would Remus still be alive by then? Had Voldemort butchered half the people he knew already? It was all depressing and daunting to think about.

He groaned, frustrated. He felt so… lost… and confused. What in Merlin's name was he supposed to do? Everything was just… wrong. Worse, never before had Harry endured such a thing. Lose one friend for a long period of time? Been there, done that. Brood over the ramifications of his failures and recklessness? That was a daily exercise. Trying to figure out how to move on from his stagnant role in a war he was destined to end? Harry didn't have a clue on what to do.

Hermione sniffed, interrupting Harry's train of thought. He grimaced as he guilty realized he had been distant from her, the friend who albeit their situation decided to stay. He had to do something, make it up to her in some way… but how? Tentatively, he stood up, turning towards Hermione's room. However, he didn't move from the spot, unsure on how to proceed. How do you comfort a grieving girl? Well, rather than grieving she was sorrowful and crashed, but it was the same thing Harry had to deal with: a crying girl.

A cup of tea, Harry suddenly thought. He then dismissed it as stupid. She was crying, not thirsty! However, with the way she had been crying, and how cold the nights were she might appreciate a cup of tea… Harry gritted his teeth as he decided to make a cup of tea in the end. Damn it, this was harder than he had wished.

It was thus with a cup of warm tea that Harry hesitantly walked past the curtain into Hermione's room. She didn't notice him, curled up on her bed and looking the other way. He paused, taking a moment to study his distraught friend. He felt a tug on his heart, one of remorse for being such a bad friend. Why hadn't he tried to help her before?

"Ehm… Hermione?" Harry tried.

Hermione stopped sobbing, only to sniff and, with pushy eyes, glance at Harry. The boy offered a small tentative lopsided smile, and rose the cup.

"I made some tea" He mumbled, looking away "thought you would want some…"

Hermione sniffed loudly before she turned over and sat, very slowly, on the mattress. "Thanks" she murmured, her voice hoarse, as Harry handed over the cup of tea. Said boy awkwardly went to sit next to Hermione.

Harry James Potter, Triwizard Tournament winner, Basilisk-Slayer and the Chosen one, remained seated, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He was even tempted to sprint out with the way Hermione ignored him only to stare at her cup of tea. The guilt, however, held him back.

"I'm sorry" Harry finally said, breaking the silence.

Hermione looked at him, frowning. "For what?" She weakly asked, baffled.

"Ron was right" Harry confessed, finally sharing what had been troubling him. "Maybe we should have gone and sought out the Order… I mean, imagine if we had Lupin and Tonks here. I bet they would help us a lot in this hunt".

Hermione bit her lower lip, her attention drawn back to her tea. "Maybe" she nodded after some thought, only to look at Harry with a kind smile "but you shouldn't apologize for that. It isn't your fault".

"Yes, it is" Harry sighed with resignation. "I am an awful leader".

Hermione once again bit her lower lip for a moment, before finally taking a sip of tea. "Th-thanks" she mumbled all of a sudden. She turned towards Harry, chocolate desolated eyes meeting emerald darkened ones. "For the tea" she clarified, only to look away once more.

Harry felt like screaming in frustration. How did they come to this? However, as much as he wanted to tear apart the discomfort, remorse held him down. It was his fault Ron had left – his fault alone, and Hermione was suffering for it.

"He's a selfish prat" Hermione chocked, startling Harry. He snapped his head at her, only to notice that her eyes had reddened and tears were streaming down from them. "How could he leave us?" She looked down at the tea "how could he leave me?"

Harry stared at his lap. How was he supposed to answer that? That Ron had lost his faith in the mission and his desire to learn about the welfare of his family got the best of him? He didn't blame the redhead. Had Harry had family out there, he might have reacted like Ron.

"I think he wasn't ready" Harry said, surprising himself when the words left his mouth. He hadn't intended to voice his opinion, after all. Hermione stopped crying and looked at him, clinging for more words. Harry, feeling as if he was making progress, carried on. "None of us were but… he has six siblings out there, Hermione, and two parents. Tom is a monster and…" he trailed off, trying to conjure a coherent sentence "my parents are dead. I don't have any other living relatives. Your parents are safe on Australia… I don't think we have that much to lose, not like him. Besides…" Harry, rubbing the nape of his neck, glanced at his feet "imagine everything he has already heard about Tom. He has been taught to fear him from birth; we haven't".

Hermione slowly nodded, her gaze growing distant.

"He's still a prat, though" Harry snorted, earning a scoff from Hermione. For a moment, the two traded tender sympathetic smiles, sharing their pain. It was fleeting moment before they each broke their gaze away, towards their lap, plunging into their sorrow yet again.

Once again, the pair merely sat, side by side. Hermione took another soft sip, and time flew past them, the awkwardness hanging between them like it had before.

"D-do you think…" Hermione mumbled, unsure. "Do you think he is also jealous?" Her eyes met Harry's once again.

"Of what?" Harry wondered, lost. What was there to be jealous about? Having lost his parents?

"Us" Hermione elaborated, sounding worried. "Don't you remember? He thought I- I was cheating him with you".

"Yes" Harry slowly nodded. He did recall that, but he thought it had come out of spite rather than sincere jealousy. "But why would he think that?"

Hermione tilted her head, perplexed by her friend's answer. "Why wouldn't he? Look at us" She gestured at the two of them. "We don't argue, we both come from similar backgrounds, we are a lot more alike than Ron and me, we understand each other…"

"But I never thought of you like -" Harry frowned, trying to think about the right word "y'know, more than a good friend. You are my best friend, Hermione, but that's pretty much it".

"Yeah, I know" Hermione nodded fiercely. "Me too, I am not saying you aren't likeable, Harry but you've always been more of a brother to me".

"And you like a sister" Harry hummed in agreement. He frowned "though I have no idea what that would be like, y'know? I can't say the Dursleys were a shining example on family dynamics, and you and I are nothing like Ginny and Ron".

Hermione's eyes widened at the input. She clearly hadn't thought about that either. "Yes, well but…" she trailed off. She closed her mouth, looking at her friend with a raised eyebrow. "You don't think that we…?"

"We…?" Once again, Harry was lost with the direction of the conversation. However, he quickly caught on. His eyes widened "oh, no, you are my friend, Hermione! I mean, you are very pretty and all but – ehm – you are Ron's girlfrie – ehm – girl-something". He blushed nonetheless. He had never bothered considering Hermione in any romantic way.

"Yes, I understand" Hermione meekly replied, blushing as well.

Silence. Would the awkwardness cling on in such a manner? At this point, it felt like a losing battle. However, this time Harry and Hermione traded glances. Neither of them had thought of the other in any way other than best friend or sibling. Now though, they pondered… could it work? They quickly dismissed the heretical thoughts. No, they weren't meant for each other… right?

Hermione released a long tired sigh. "This is ridiculous" she muttered exasperatedly. "We are supposed to be adults! We are in the middle of a war and - look at us – we are acting like hormonal teenagers".

"Yeah, I know what you mean" Harry grumbled, shamefully scratching the nape of his neck.

Hermione turned to Harry, worried. She seemed like she wanted to comment on something, but desisted in the end. Instead, she looked away, leaving Harry to stare awkwardly at his lap.

"Do you- do you think we'll make it?" Harry suddenly asked, surprising Hermione.

Hermione was about to declare that, indeed, they would. However, those words died down as she saw Harry's downtrodden expression. She paused to think about it, only to feel downtrodden herself. Damn everything felt so hopeless, especially without Ron around.

"I don't know…" Hermione confessed.

"Things really have gone down the gutter, haven't they? I thought I had better luck than this" Harry, with morbid fascination, wondered with a smile, facing the ceiling of the tent.

"Yep, no kidding" Hermione answered with a smile of her own.

Harry turned to Hermione. "Thanks for not leaving" he said.

Hermione offered a wide grin. "I would never leave you, not when you need me the most" she declared passionately, taking hold of one of Harry's hands.

The two smiled at each other. Just like that, Harry recalled the talk over being an item. Being there, alone, comforting each other and with no one else to count on, he could actually picture it. His emerald eyes studied her face, and pondered on Hermione. Why couldn't they be more? She was there, had always been, and Harry really wouldn't mind to keep her around in the future. As a matter of fact, the future didn't seem the same without her in it.

"Hermione" Harry, suddenly uncomfortable, cleared his throat. "W-would it be bad if… if we tried to… ehm… be together?"

"But Harry, we are together" Hermione, with a scrunched face, pointed out, only for her eyes to widen. "Oh, you mean, like-" she choked on what she intended to say next, unable to spell it out. She shook her head, pulling her hands on her lap. "No, I- I guess not. Besides, it isn't like Ron is here. He left us" she huffed, only to add with sadness "and he might not return".

"And so much could happen" Harry considered. "I mean, who knows? What if tomorrow we get caught or something?"

Hermione's shoulders slumped. "I guess we have to make the best with what we've got" she mumbled, crimson faced, as she eyed Harry.

Chocolate eyes stared longingly into emerald ones. A deep understanding formed. In silent agreement, and unbeknownst to them, they leaned closer to each other. This was so strange… and weird… and a part of them knew it was wrong. Harry thought of Ginny, about how they had kissed, how he had yearned for her, only to have her and give away all hopes of being her boyfriend. Hermione thought of Ron, and how much it would hurt him if he knew what they were about to do… and a spiteful part of her desired for that to happen. Ron left HER. She was not going to hold a candle for him…

And then their lips met. It was definitely not what they wanted, and yet they remained glued to each other. Worse, they quickly lost themselves into the intimate contact. Days and days of physical and emotional stress, piled on their young shoulders, fell on them in that moment. Desire overrode reason, and they stopped thinking about the present or future. All thought of Horcrux, of the war, of desperation… it was all gone as adventurous hands explored secrets of each other.

A cup of tea fell to the ground, spilling the hot contents all over and making a mess down there. Steam rose as the cup rolled. Yet, it remained forgotten, on the floor.

* * *

The world had gone mad. That was what Ron thought when he sat there, in between Fred and Charlie, hearing the latest debriefing of the Order of the Phoenix. There were forty seven fighters, alongside fifty other people in support roles like potioneers, healers and enchanters, making the Order a militia worthy of recognition. And yet, the more Ron heard, the more he thought they hadn't enough people. As a matter of fact, after the first debriefing the night of his arrival, he felt like he had back at the tent with Harry and Hermione, if not worse.

Giants were running around and eating innocent people, Acromantula nests were scattered across the country (Ron shivered at the thought of dozens of those godforsaken spiders), Inferi were everywhere, Dementors were sucking souls in droves and Death Eaters were doing Merlin knows what here and there. The only thing missing in the picture was You-Know-Who, who was – thankfully – missing in action. Then again, neither the Ministry nor the Order appeared to be doing anything. If that wasn't bad enough, the Dark Hunter's presence was becoming more prominent in the Forest of Dean, leaving a trail of burned down muggle buildings, scorched corpses and other atrocities. The man's kill count was allegedly in the hundreds already, all victims found chopped… and burned to the marrow.

"Our latest reports on the Dark Hunter suggest he has been involved in ransacking this side-road shop" a muggle-born wizard called Keith reported, standing facing his audience of a hundred wands and with his back against a projector. With his wand, he pointed at a spot in the projected map of the Forest of Dean, or at least a rough diagram.

Dark-skinned and glum, Keith was like the majority of the wizards there: muggle-born forced out by the Ministry and reluctantly recruited into the Order in exchange of his family's safety in France. It was a recurrent theme, actually, and it showed with the way they dressed and acted.

"That man is a monster" someone commented. No one disagreed. If anything, most nodded in agreement, including Ron.

"We don't understand why but this Dark Hunter appears to be growing bolder and bolder" Keith sighed, shaking his head. "At least he does a clean job and leaves everything in ashes for the muggles to find…"

"Thank you, Keith" Kingsley told the man as he stood up. Keith weakly nodded and walked to his seat, leaving Kingsley to take charge of the debriefing once again. While the Order had become something of a democracy with Dumbledore's death, Ron was under the suspicion that Kingsley, and a few others, were the ones to call the shots. The de-facto leader of the Order turned soberly at his fellow Order members, all of which were gloomy and, without fault, miserable. How had the world come to this?

"Alright, as we have heard today, the forces of Darkness are on the move. We have no idea where You-Know-Who is, but at the moment we have other pressing issues" Kingsley grimaced as he carried on. "People… we must take down the Dark Hunter. The longer he is free to roam our country, the more likely it will be until the Muggles start acting".

"Why haven't they?" Someone suddenly asked the million dollar question.

Kingsley's face darkened. "Muggle government, like ours, is pretty incompetent… problem is, that the Prime Minister, the Houses and many muggle journalists… they have been imperioused and are under direct control of the Magical Ministry". There was a widespread explosion of outrage, shock and curses in the gathered audience.

"If we had been less obtuse about our magical counterparts we wouldn't be in this situation" someone proclaimed boldly.

"It is BECAUSE we've been reaching out for the muggles that we are in this situation" Kingsley rebutted. "Thanks to our attempts in having a connection with most of the muggle leaders, they were vulnerable when our own government was taken over. The Auror meant to serve as the Prime Minister's bodyguard probably is the one keeping him under the Imperious now".

"But the muggle population must suspect something" someone pointed out.

"The masses of people tend to be a flock of sheep" Tonks, in her usual bitter demeanour, spat. "Just look at yourselves. Dumbledore warned you all about You-Know-Who, the government covered it up and you, mindless cattle, took the easier route and ignored it all".

No one dared contradict the pink-haired former Auror on that point. IF anything, most had the decency of looking ashamed.

"Tonks" Kingsley huffed warningly, glaring at the young woman. She glared back in response. "Be it is as it may, things are about to get out of control for either us or the Dark forces. They might have the muggle government under their thumb, but once the majority start seeing the Dark Hunter's atrocities; it will be too late for obliviation squads. The Statute of Secrecy is in danger".

"And what do you suggest?" Someone asked. "That bastard is a freaking Pyromaniac!"

"Pyromancer you illiterate imbecile" Tonks hissed back.

"Tonks!" Kingsley yelled. "Leave, now!" She scowled, yet she did not move. "Tonks…" he urged demandingly.

"Whatever" Tonks growled as she filed out of the room.

Ron's blue eyes followed the former auror until she was gone. If there was one person that had been the most affected by the war, it had been Tonks. She was no longer carefree, or even a klutz. Rather, she was aggressive and bitter. She rarely joked and kept to herself. As a matter of fact, she seemed hell-bent on antagonizing everyone.

From what Ron had learned from his siblings, Tonks' father had been taken by Snatchers and her mother was being held captive somewhere. Moreover, she had one massive argument with Remus that was witnessed by the entirety of the Order which pretty much ended whatever might or might not have happened, although George pointed out the fight probably had more to do with the inaction of the Order than anything related to a relationship.

To some degree, Ron understood her frustration. The Order had rarely done anything, too afraid to act and get people killed, while the world was burning. Yet, Ron couldn't bring himself to ponder on what they could do. Most of the so-called fighters didn't have an ounce of courage or skill where it came to fighting, and by the rumours of the Dark Hunter alone... Ron wasn't inclined to do anything against such dark character himself.

Many stories were going around about the Dark Hunter, mostly from those who would scout around and gather information. During meals, Ron had heard countless tales of being the Dark Lord's son, or his closest apprentice. There was one nasty story about the Dark Hunter assaulting and chopping the limbs of an unsuspecting muggle family camping out in the middle of the Forest only for the fun of it. It was also said he fed the livers of his victims to his ash wolves in order to sustain them. If the rumour mill was anything to go by, the Dark Hunter could summon seas of flames and command them to his will. He was definitely not exactly your everyday challenge.

"The Dark Hunter possesses powers we had deemed impossible" Kingsley stated. "Taking him down will be a big blow against You-Know-Who. In order to achieve this, we can't face him directly. If anything, I suggest we set up a trap".

Ron frowned. How in the world were they supposed to set up a trap for the Dark Hunter? However, as he thought about it, he paled and shuffled uncomfortable in his seat. He knew exactly how they could lure the Dark Hunter into the open.

"As far as we know, the Dark Hunter is seeking Harry Potter" Kingsley reminded them. "However, we are of the theory that he could also be hunting for Harry's two closest friends: Hermione Granger, who is currently with Harry… and Ronald Weasley". Ron blushed as eyes turned towards him.

"No! You can't use him as bait!" Molly immediately cried out, horrified that a son would be used in such a manner. Her husband stood up to calm the woman, but his eyes now held an inner fire Ron had rarely seen – one of a very protective father on a warpath to keep his sons alive.

"The Dark Hunter is too dangerous" Arthur added. "Any ambush we set up for him could very well fail – not to mention that it would be too risky for the entire Order. How do we know he won't be able to use anything to track us down? Maybe he just needs a strand of hair! If we faced him and he escapes…"

There were murmurs of agreements. Admittedly, the Dark Hunter's power was unconfirmed, only speculated… and heavily rumoured. With little to nothing to do, it didn't help scuttlebutt had gone crazy as of late.

Kingsley sighed. "I know that" he admitted "but the Dark Hunter must be stopped, or else hundreds of people will die".

Ron didn't know what to think. It was a sound idea to try to ambush the dark wizard if they could. However, if he was too powerful, maybe an ambush wouldn't work. Still, they had to try, right?

"It's too dangerous, Kingsley" someone grunted. "Ambushing Death Eaters is almost impossible, remember? They can summon aid when he needs, and now with the taboo all he needs to do is say You-Know-Who's name".

More murmurs of agreement. Kingsley contested that, claiming that if they were able to stun the Dark Hunter it would be over quickly, only to be told that first they had to achieve that. Ron tuned them out, though, as he did in previous debriefings. Now would be the part where one would suggest something, another person would contest the idea and so forth. In the end, it would end in nothing. No one was willing to risk their necks aside than to take pictures here or there or meddle with muggles to get information or resources. All in all, nothing would come out of the meeting.

Ron, though, wanted to do something. He had to find Harry and Hermione and get them out of the Forest of Dean, and quickly. The problem, however, was how to find them. The debriefing ended half an hour later, as Ron had predicted. Kingsley and others decided to set up sentinels here and there, from Diagon Alley to Godric's Hollow. Without a word, Ron stood up and followed the herd of people leaving.

Ron sighed as he entered the room he shared with Fred, George and Charlie, all in bunk beds. The room was small and it looked like a military barrack, but Ron couldn't complain. It was way better than at the tent, especially now at the doors of winter. He really didn't know what to do now. Thus, he simply laid down, pondering on the issues at hand. He had to find a way to locate Harry and Hermione, before they were found by the Dark Hunter. But how?

Ron absentmindedly searched his pockets and grabbed his put-outter, the one he had received from Dumbledore himself. The redhead studied it. For months he had wondered why in the world had the Headmaster gave him that. Albus Dumbledore was a bit of a mad man, really, if he thought Ron needed an artefact to remove lights. He looked at it, as if demanding a response from the device itself. Apparently, it decided to answer.

The redhead was startled by the sudden feeling that washed over him. The put-outter fell from his hands as he yelped, shocked. He blinked, looking around. What was that? He frowned, baffled, only to grab the put-outter, cautious.

When the feeling came again, Ron didn't even wince. Instead, he focus on it. Was it a direction? The redhead's eyes widened. The put-outter wanted to take him somewhere! Of course, Dumbledore might have left the put-outter to find something of value! It made so much sense. The Headmaster wouldn't just abandon them in such critical search, would he? It could be a cache of books or maybe a secret hideout.

Ron smiled, excitedly. Finally, something to do. However, his joy vanished quickly. He couldn't just leave the Order's headquarters and go on his own… right? He mauled on that thought for a while. Maybe he should take a page from Harry's book and do it. He quickly thought of that as stupid, only to admonish his own way of thinking. No, he had to go on his own. Else he could endanger others… like his family.

The thought of losing someone else of the family troubled Ron deeply. He still had to overcome his feelings of Ginny missing. She could be find, true, but Ron felt like she was probably enduring a terrible fate, as Andromeda Tonks, Nymphadora's mother. The rumour mill suggested that Andromeda probably was being brainwashed somewhere to be the perfect pureblood witch she had been meant to be – as a matter of fact, the Order suspected many "blood-traitors" were being sent to hidden camps in order to "relearn their culture". The idea was shiver-inducing. The Death Eaters could be doing the same to Ginny, manipulating her memories, feelings and thoughts to make her a willing servant of You-Know-Who… or worse, a proud housewife to one.

No, Ron had to do something! He couldn't sit around and wait around. The Order was useless, too afraid to act. If Ron told them about the Put-outter's weird function, Ron was sure it would be confiscated, studied and then thoroughly discussed before the issue was forgotten entirely. Ron wouldn't let that happen. If the put-outter guided him somewhere to help the fight, and rescue Ginny (if she was alive) then he would bloody take the risk on his own.

It was decided. That night, Ron would slip away with his belongings and apparate away to follow the put-outter. Hopefully, everything would work out.

"Just hold on, Ginny" Ron whispered, clenching the put-outter fiercely.

* * *

Ginevra Weasley felt like sneezing all of a sudden. She scrunched her face, only for the feeling to fade away. Confused by it, she decided to dismiss it. Instead, Ginny sighed and went back on her special project. The fires were burning hot, and the ingridients were at the ready. Everything was in place, and Ginny was certain it would be a success. A devious smirk crossed her freckled face as she pondered on the end result. Selenius would be most delights, she was sure of that. After all, she didn't recall a time or place when anyone disliked one of her mother's apple pies. With a satisfied smile, Ginny stared at the soon-to-be dessert inside the oven. It had to be perfect, it just had to.

"Winky insists Mistress leaves the cooking to Winky" the female House-elf begged behind Ginny. The large tennis ball eyes followed the uncooked pie as if it was a baby being place in the over instead.

"Nonsense, Winky" Ginny huffed, flattening the messy white apron that was over her long beloved crimson dress. He liked the dress as it matched her hair and looked wonderfully on her person. "This is a gesture of appreciation to Selenius…"

"Winky thinks Master would enjoy babies instead" Winky sagely replied.

"Wha- who – huh?" Ginny stammered incoherently as her head started glowing, flustered. "Winky!" She cried out, thoroughly embarrassed. "I- I don't th-think of Sel l-like that…" she mumbled.

Winky appeared to ignore her as she walked over to the sink and, pushing a stool over for her to stand on, she proceeded to merrily hum while she washed the cooking utensils at the bottom of the sink. Ginny, in the meanwhile, muttered about stupid meddlesome elves. However, Ginny quickly blushed at the thought of being a mother.

It was such a ridiculous thought she felt embarrassed and distressed in simply imagining that! She was NOT going to be like her mother. Oh, no sir! She was not going to be a house-wife with seven children… she would have one… or maybe three… and not with Selenius. He was too old, after all. She knew it wasn't right for her to fantasize being the wife of a man that was maybe twenty years older than her. It was meant to be creepy and disgusting.

And yet there she was, glowing like a red Christmas decoration, smiling a flustered smile at the thought of being married to Selenius Greengrass.

 _Ginevra Greengrass… now, there is a nice ring to it_ , she mused. Ginny shook her head. No! She wanted Harry, Harry James Potter, the Chosen One! The one with handsome emerald eyes, a quirky smile, skinny complexion, who brooded eternally and who seemed to have the ambitions of a brick… not like Selenius. Ginny swore, furiously shaking her head before she started comparing Harry with Selenius.

 _Harry is well-off and a wonderful person!_ Ginny told herself.

 _Oh, wake up, Ginny, Harry is a mediocre nobody who is frequently in the wrong place at the wrong time and comes out of it thanks to bloody providence_ , a darker part of her retorted.

 _He flipping saved me! He treats me better than anyone and not like a piece of meat!_ Ginny growled.

 _So that's why he started noticing you only after you had a fine body? And as for saving you… Ginevra, get real, the idiot came down the Chamber without a plan and would have been killed by the Basilisk, hadn't a bloody Phoenix shown up out of nowhere with a convenient hat in its claws_ , dark inner-Ginny huffed. _Besides, has Sel treated you like a piece of meat? He is teaching you a lot of cool stuff, isn't he? Things goodie-two-shoes Potter would think of as dark…_

 _That's beside the point_ , Ginny mentally grunted.

Deep down, she knew that Dark-Ginny or Ginevra (as she dubbed it) had scored a point there. Ginny had actually taken a liking to Pyromancy. It felt right, just as the magic flowing through her. It felt wrong to even consider denying such powers. However, at the same time, many people – her mother and Harry included – would fervently want to remove such practices from her.

 _Is it? Potter is Dumbledore's golden boy through and through and we both know what Dumbledore thought of Pyromancy_ , the Dark-Ginny pointed out. _Come on, Ginevra, stop fooling around – Potter was a miss! He is angst-ridden, weak and a mess. You deserve better_.

 _No, you are wrong! Harry is the best boyfriend I will ever have_ , Ginny angrily retorted.

 _Really? I suppose that's why he left you then_ , Ginevra devilishly cackled.

Ginny's shoulder fell at that. _That was low_ , she replied meekly.

 _But it's the truth nonetheless_ , Dark-Ginny chuckled. _Face it, to him you are just some fling he'll outgrow in time or you will grow annoyed with. Come on, Ginny, you know you could do better. Harry is as thick as Ronald. Heck, isn't Harry a bit too much like Ronald?_

 _Harry is nothing like Ron!_ Ginny gagged at the comparison.

 _Of course not_ , scoffed Ginevra. _And you are nothing like Lily Potter_.

Now that made Ginny wretch. _URGH! How can you even suggest that? Disgusting!_

 _Again, isn't that the truth? You know how much Harry wished he could connect with his parents…_ Ginevra trailed away, smirking impishly.

 _STOP IT!_ Ginny gagged again, starting to feel sick. _There is nothing to discuss._ _Harry is good for me and Selenius is too old_.

 _Don't give me that crap, Ginny_ , Ginevra mentally rolled her eyes. _Didn't you root for Tonks getting together with Professor Lupin? Don't hide it! You were all about seeing them together. Besides, we are mages! We will live past the one hundred years with ease. Just admit it. You want to be Mrs Greengrass so badly…_

Ginny felt like punching herself at the moment, if only to get back at that inner darker side of her.

 _Could you stop_ \- Ginny was mentally ranting, only to be interrupted.

"Ginny, are you there?"

Ginny squealed in fright, turning around, only to find Selenius Greengrass, dressed in his shirt and black pants, while his sapphire eyes stared deep into her own eyes. She blushed, ashamed for having been caught too deeply in a ridiculous mental discussion (not to mention what a preposterous conversation it had been!). However, her thoughts were quickly replaced by the way the first two buttons of Selenius' shirt were undone and revealing rock-solid and athletic musculature below. How much was real and how much had been the result of magic? Ginny was not sure. She couldn't deny, though, that he looked like right out of Witch Weekly nonetheless.

"Ginny?" Selenius trailed again, rising an eyebrow. He was rather perplexed by her lack of response.

"S-sorry" Ginny mumbled apologetically, trying not to look hungrily at Selenius. She bitterly thought that had Harry been less of a scruffy boy Ginny might not have the problems she had.

Selenius sniffed the air hungrily. "Hmmm, do I smell apple pie?" He inquired with a smile, his sapphire eyes flashing with excitement – and hunger.

"Yep" Ginny proudly proclaimed "I did it myself".

"Quidditch player, intelligent, fiery, pyromancer-to-be and an amazing cook? Do you even have flaws?" Selenius teased.

Ginny chuckled, blushing at the man's teasing. "Trust me, Sel, I'm no miss perfect" she playfully huffed.

"No one is perfect" Selenius smirked, leaning on the kitchen's wall, facing Ginny and the oven. His arms were crossed, giving him a rather confident and carefree pose that Ginny found extremely attractive. Did he do it in purpose? He was quite the charmer around her… "But you certainly seem far closer to perfection that most…"

Ginny scoffed. "Cut it, you, before you start getting cheesy" she warned, grinning. She loved those interactions, as much as she knew she shouldn't. "Besides, you keep that up and I'll start thinking you are flirting with me…" she offered a seductive smile "not that I would mind…"

Selenius reacted by sobering and stiffening. He stood up, straightening up like a plank. "I, on the other hand, wouldn't want you to get such ideas" he bluntly retorted, somewhat uncomfortable.

"Why not?" Ginny tried.

"Aside from the fact you are too young for a man my age and perhaps a bit too naïve?" Selenius scoffed. "No, Ginny, you should be fancying people like Potter".

Ginny scowled. "You and your freaking honour" she muttered, pouting. "What's wrong with wanting me?" She huffed. "Am I not desirable?"

"Please, let's not talk about that" Selenius grumbled as he cringed. He pinched his nose, exasperated. He was not in the mood to discuss such nonsense…

"Why not?" Ginny grunted, stepping over to Selenius. He tried to fall back, only to meet a wall. He actually looked rather scared as Ginny stood in front of him, a bit too close for his liking. "I'm not going to lie, Sel… I want you". To make a point, she tentatively pressed a hand on his chest. She felt him stiffen and saw his face pale.

"Please, don't" Selenius demanded, grabbing the hand.

"I haven't heard a good reason why not" Ginny muttered, pulling her hand back. "Yes, you are older than me… and so what?"

"Ginny, you are a minor!" Selenius exclaimed. "You don't fancy me, you are only fascinated with my person – two different things".

Ginny stepped forward, pressing her body against his. He comically squeaked, looking terrified. Ginny actually enjoyed that, seeing the generally resolute and strong man comically withdraw from her, trying to deny his own desires. She smirked at him, as she held him hostage against the wall.

"Sel, Sel, Sel…" Ginny sultrily hummed, a hand caressing his face. "Why do you do this to yourself? Why don't you want to have… more?"

What was wrong with her? She didn't know, but if she didn't know better she would have assumed the darker part of her was in control. Selenius averted her gaze, a hand gently grabbing hers and stopping her caress. If only she knew what evil lurked underneath such charming exterior…

"We aren't meant to be" Selenius sighed, with sadness. "Let's face it, I'm a man with little to no future. You have your entire life ahead…"

"Selenius" Ginny sighed, saddened. "There is a war out there. My parents could be dead right now, if not tortured… or worse. My brothers could be doing just as badly… the people I know are suffering and- and it will only get worse. I want to be happy. I want both of us to be happy". She offered a kind smile, her hands sliding onto his head. He released the hold he had on her, as his sapphire eyes were mesmerized by her soft words.

The two stared at each other. A part of Ginny was reeling at what she was planning on doing. A darker part of her, however, didn't have the same reservations.

"You could die tomorrow, or the day afterwards doing gods know what" Ginny sniffed, tears racing down her cheeks. "Then what? I'll be left alone… with only what-ifs to accompany me onwards".

They remained quiet, staring at each other. After what felt like an eternity, Selenius reached out to remove the tears from her face.

"You'll find this as cheesy… but tears mar your beauty" Selenius offered, only to sigh despondently. "I don't deserve either your kindness or love. I've come to terms with my misery. All my life, I've been cursed towards mediocrity. That's the last thing I wish for you".

"That's why you work so hard in your study, enchanting objects and planning? That's why you leave every night into the wilderness? Gods, Selenius, you are driven you spend every waking hour working, and even then you spend time teaching me!" Ginny retorted, amused. "That's why you risk your neck every day? Because of mediocrity? You are wrong, Selenius. You are destined for greatness… not because you are powerful, or because you have a bloody scar on your forehead" she scoffed, both of them sharing a smile at that last bit. "But because you rise to the challenge and give it your all". She tilted her head, looking at him affectively.

"How can't I fall for you when you try so hard to succeed? When you improve yourself with every bump in the road? When you press on regardless what's ahead? You fail so much… and yet you stand up right afterwards…" Ginny wondered out loud. "Remember when you started teaching me how to make my own Dark-Hand? I failed and failed… until I threw a tantrum". She blushed, remembering that particular event. "Remember what you told me? The greatness of a person is not defined by how repeatedly he or she falls… but by the way he or she will rise afterwards, how he or she will proceed. You, Selenius Greengrass, are a great man."

Selenius stared at her, appreciative of her words. However, his face was quickly marred with guilt and remorse. A dark shadow passed over his visage, secrets promising to surface from within. It all vanished as soon as it came. Soon enough, they simply looked at the other. Ginny, mustering some courage, slowly raised to the tip of her toes, her head facing Selenius. However, before she could achieve her goal, the man slipped past her.

How had such a muscular and large person manage to get around her with such ease? Ginny wasn't sure. However, she groaned as Selenius silently walked away and out of the kitchen, a dark mood falling over the man. Ginny didn't pursue, though. Rather, she grimaced only to frown resolutely. She was not about to give up on Selenius, even though a weak, smaller part of her wished against it.

* * *

 **Author Note: Another chapter goes... so, what do you think?** **What are your thoughts about the story thus far? Anything you wish to change or add?  
**

 **Quick question, do you think Ginny should end up with Selenius or forget about it? I really want to know your opinion on that.**

 **Please, review!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter VI: for a better tomorrow**

Ron Weasley felt like an idiot as he looked around the small muggle - what as it called? – bed and breakfast. He was on edge; blue eyes jumping on every little creak, click or crack. As he stood by the reception, he guiltily glanced at the confounded woman behind the counter; he couldn't help the feeling of dirtiness that washed over him each time he saw that blank vacant gaze of hers. There he was, a pureblood, in muggle territory… Hermione would definitely be proud of him – probably – if she saw him mingling around in such a way. Then again, she would reap him a new one with the way he was treating the poor muggle lady.

"Here is your key" the middle-aged woman, with a distant monotonous voice, said. "Have a good night, young man" she added, just as vacantly.

Ron grabbed the key and hurried away. He walked down a corridor, taking a glimpse of the key's number. He swallowed a hard lump of saliva as he noticed how night was fast approaching. Soon, the Dark Hunter would be in the Forest.

It was only when he had found his room and locked himself in it that he allowed a sigh of respite to escape him, if only momentarily. He dropped his bag next to his bed, marching off to the bathroom. With bags under his eyes and looking like a ghoul, Ron splashed some water over his face using the sink. Thankfully mirror in front at least was the silent type that didn't comment on his looks, allowing him to stare at himself in peace.

Ron cursed his stupidity and lack of foresight. In hindsight, he should have known better than charging half-cocked after a mysterious feeling from the put-outter, especially without a good plan. He had been angry at Harry for being a lazy bum that didn't ever think ahead, and now he had to admonish himself for making the same mistake. Why had the Put-outter brought him to the Forest of Dean anyway? He had no idea, but at the moment, Ron was too tired to think it through.

Exhausted, Ron marched out of the bathroom and went to the bed. He looked around, before groaning. He didn't know one bloody warding spell to protect himself! If he fell asleep someone could easily break in and get him. The fact he was a heavy sleeper wasn't comforting. Ron grumbled. He had two options: he returned to the Order and gave away the put-outter, ruining his chances of ever being trusted with anything again for the duration of the War, or stick around and cross his fingers.

What reassured Ron that he could take the second option was the fact that wizards tended to avoid anything muggle. Then again, if the Dark Hunter's track-record was anything to go by, Ron wasn't entire safe. Of course, Ron wouldn't have to worry about Snatchers, or else the Ministry would probably step in out of the danger of breaking the Statute of Secrecy. With that in mind, Ron slowly dozed off over the simple bed in the room. He yawned, unable to keep himself up any longer. It would be just for a few minutes, after all. What's the worst that could happen?

* * *

Selenius Greengrass stood there, glaring at the building ahead. Here he was. All he had to do was step a bit closer and knock. That was it. He glared at his feet as he asked himself the million galleon question: why had he remained there, standing, for over half an hour? The dark wizard knew the answer, and yet he couldn't bring himself to actually say it or even think it: he did not want to confront his brother.

The old Greengrass cottage was just as Selenius remembered, with thatched roof, two floors and a picturesque appearance. With white painting, black wooden frames here and there, and hidden within the security of a forest, Selenius couldn't help feeling nostalgic. Of course, it wasn't the same. There was an oppressive aura around the house, as well as a dark shadow cast everywhere. Then again, Hogwarts had felt the same. It was the Dark Lord and his damnable influence.

A blanket of snow covered the floor, leaving only a handful of stones in the path Selenius was supposed to take to reach the oak door. As it was, though, Selenius didn't appear like he would move any time soon. The night was fast approaching and his time before resuming the hunt was running shorter and shorter… and yet he remained there.

"Come on, Selenius, if not for yourself, do it for Ginny" Selenius sighed, a small cloud of steam shrouding the air in front. With that said, he closed his eyes and mustered his courage, taking one step forward.

It was a bit easier after that. One step here, another step there, and before he knew it he was right over the door. Selenius raised a hand, hesitating for a moment. This was it. His heart started racing. He gulped, pondering if this was really a good idea. In the end, he gritted his teeth and, with an air of annoyance, knocked - loudly.

The door opened, revealing a familiar woman standing under the doorframe. She was of average height, with honey hair, pale blue eyes and round face. Clad in a white simple dress, she seemed caught between curious and worried.

"Artemis" Selenius softly greeted, with a courteous bow. "It's been… a long time".

Artemis Greengrass smiled faintly, hugging her body as the cold started to invade her home. "It has… Selenius". She paused, mauling what she was going to say next. "When I felt you in the wards, I thought I had gone mad. We all thought you – well… that you had died".

Selenius' whole soul fell at that. "Indeed?" He tried to pull a brave face, only to come off as broken. "Is Darius inside?"

Artemis sighed. "Yes, and he knows you are here" she replied.

Selenius opened his mouth to ask something, only to freeze. He closed his mouth, remaining silent. So his brother didn't want to greet him. As if she had been able to read his minds, Artemis offered a saddened nod.

"I'm not welcomed here, am I?" Selenius finally inquired.

Artemis seemed offended by the question. "What do you think?" She hissed in an undertone. "You were gone for over a decade, chased out by the Aurors after you were proven a Death Eater! Of course I wouldn't want you inside my house".

Selenius felt his jaw tightened as his face hardened. Of course his brother wouldn't have told his wife the whole story.

"So Darius didn't explain anything to you?" Selenius spat.

"Look, Selenius, I understand you have a bad relationship with your brother but -" Artemis tried to be diplomatic, but she was failing, miserably.

"No, you don't understand. Darius sold me off to the Dark Lord and then to the Aurors" Selenius interrupted, angrily. "I don't blame him – he did it to protect you and your daughter. What I want, at least, is to talk with him… at least a final time".

Artemis studied him carefully, considering it over. In the end, she sighed and stepped back. "Come in" she snippily ordered.

Selenius contained his relief, stepping inside. The door was closed behind him, and Selenius looked around, intrigued by the recent changes within the house. There were dozens of moving pictures. Two young girls were a recurrent theme all over, both with sapphire eyes. The elder one, Daphne, had raven black hair and a cold glazing look, fitting for a queen. The other one had honey blonde hair, like Artemis, and was much livelier. He couldn't help smiling fondly, if only to feel bad for having missed so much.

The Pyromancer was also amazed to find what appeared to be a pair of younger boys, apparently close to the age of eleven by the looks of it. He smiled nostalgically at their appearance, reminded of Darius and himself… how had time changed…

"That's Daphne" Artemis proudly pointed out at the picture Selenius stared, near the door. Both nieces of his were standing on a summer day, with the house behind them. "You remember her?"

Selenius grinned. "It's hard to forget with the way she cried" he chuckled.

Artemis giggled. "Oh, yes, how much has changed…" she sighed wistfully. "The other one is Astoria. Quite the little elf that one". With a grin, she pointed at the two boys in one picture, who appeared to have gone through a storm of mud and smiled proudly about it. "Romulus and Darius…" she said softly, her gaze lost in memories.

"Do they…?" Selenius looked carefully at Artemis.

"No, they don't know you exist" Artemis, at the very least, offered an apologetic smile.

"I don't blame you" Selenius sincerely replied. Artemis was grateful of that.

"Darius is in the library, probably brooding over this or that" Artemis informed the man. "Don't go destroying my house, alright?"

"You have my word" Selenius nodded respectfully at her. "Just I wouldn't expect the same from my brother".

Artemis huffed, but didn't comment, allowing Selenius to march off towards the library. The smell of parchment and ancient tomes was the first thing that the man noticed, as it assaulted his senses. It was then the penumbra of the room that the dark wizard noticed next, with only the fire-place offering any semblance of lighting. With walls covered with bookshelves, Darius Greengrass sat on a couch, like a monarch on his throne, staring into the orange flames, a dark shadow cast over his face.

Selenius was unable to move as his eyes laid on his brother. He looked changed, to say the least. A black beard adorned Darius' chin, as the bulky man sat, his sapphire eyes – as cold as the winter outside – piercing deeply into the fires. His square face was unmoving, and his body was just as rigid. One thing Selenius did notice was the round belly that had grown in their time apart.

"Darius" Selenius whispered.

Said man blinked and, startled, spun his head at him. He was more than surprised as his eyes widened and he rose to his feet. If anything, he was outraged.

"What are you doing here?!" He exclaimed, furious.

"It's good to see you too" Selenius nodded politely, though he did glare at his older brother with distaste. Darius had remained just as brash as before, by the looks of it.

"Darius" Artemis intercede wryly, as she stepped from behind Selenius.

"Why did you allow him in?" Darius demanded to know, reining his temper in under the stern disapproving gaze of his wife.

"Because he is your brother, Darius, and our children's Uncle, for better or for worse" Artemis remarked. "I thought we valued the old traditions – the same traditions that set us apart from the _muggles_ ". The last part was said with derision… and a sneer.

"And I do" Darius amended, sending a scathing glare at his younger brother. "But we both know _he_ is not a good influence on our family". Selenius didn't like the way his brother aimed a finger at him.

"He IS part of our family" Artemis contested, irritably.

"He is a freaking Death Eater!" Darius spat.

"And why is that?" Selenius challenged, daringly folding his arms. "Why am I the one tortured by the snake-faced bastard while you remain unscathed?"

"Darius, I want to know the truth here - and don't lie to me" Artemis' face was puce as she spot, hotly warning her husband. "I have always known you did something years ago to shake the Dark Lord from us. Did you think I wouldn't wonder how you have managed to keep us safe from the Death Eaters all this time?"

"I did it to protect us – our children" Darius replied, groaning with frustration. He pointed a finger at Selenius again, much to the dark wizard's chagrin. "The Dark Lord demanded for the House of Greengrass to aid him and – and…" he bit his tongue, unable to continue.

"So he pointed the Dark Lord in my general direction" Selenius finished for his brother "Not only that, but Darius told him all about how I had started learning the art of Pyromancy, and just how gifted I so happened to be in that branch of magic. Trust me, the Dark Lord was sold by that alone, to the point I was forced into his inner circle after he broke into my house and tortured me to kingdom come".

"Your father would have never allowed that!" Artemis gasped, shocked.

"Our father couldn't have stopped the Dark Lord from doing anything" sighed Darius as he returned to his seat, resigned. "He was retired, with our mother over in Europe… and I was the one in charge of our House".

"Selenius is your younger brother!" Artemis pointed out. "How could you have done that? It's your responsibility to look out for him!"

"It's alright, Artemis" Selenius reassured. "It worked out better this way. Had Darius been a Death Eater, your daughters would have been raised without their father, or you would have lost a lot of money trying to keep him out of Azkaban. That's without mentioning what your husband would have been forced to do…"

Artemis looked like she still couldn't believe that her husband had literally thrown his own brother to save his own skin. At the same time, Artemis did understand and, most probably, agreed with the decision – if only with a whole ton of accompanying remorse. At least, her silence in the matter spoke loudly about that.

"Why did you lie to me?" Artemis huffed and puffed. "You told me Selenius had fallen prey to the Dark Lord's filthy promises of power. That he became a loyal servant out of his own volition!"

"Because you would have done something stupid, like trying to hide him when the Aurors showed up" Darius grumbled, defeated.

"Well, you did point the Aurors in my general direction as well" Selenius remarked. "And that wasn't exactly necessary either".

"I did it to protect my family. Had they captured you and - had I lied - I could have gone to prison too" Darius rebutted.

"Yes, and I can bring myself to understand that too" Selenius growled "but why the hell did you lock me out of my own family too? How do you think I felt returning to Britain and finding out father and mother had died and…?" Artemis gasped, horrified by that. Darius looked guilty and remorseful as he recalled the event. "Damn you, Darius, I would have gladly done anything for my nieces, for my sister-in-law and my own blood. Why did you have to stab me in the back as well?"

Darius remained quiet, his face shamefully hidden behind his palms, unable to contain his own miserable remorse.

"How do you think I feel knowing I missed out on the lives of my nieces?" Selenius added bitterly. "Do you have any idea what it is like living in exile, away from your own mother-land, having to mingle with filthy _muggles_ in order to survive? Having to endure their degrading society, their down-spiralling culture? Of course you don't, because you threw me to the wolves when you saw fit".

"And what was I supposed to do?!" Darius yelled, red-faced.

"Treat me like your brother!" Selenius yelled back.

The two brothers remained staring each other, the fiery sapphire eyes of Selenius glowing as if ablaze facing off against the sharp ice-cold eyes of Darius. Artemis glanced at each of them in turns, worried with how it would go down between the two. However, it was Selenius who broke their standoff, turning around and marching out towards the door. Surprised, Artemis followed after her brother-in-law, only after she sent a questioning look at her husband.

As Selenius reached the door, hell-bent on leaving, he paused as he felt as if he was being watched. He snapped his head to his right where, awkwardly staring at him, were two girls, both of them clad in dark green tunics. With a heavy heart, Selenius realized these were Daphne and Astoria… his nieces. They looked slightly older than in all the pictures he had seen. By the looks of it, the two had been eavesdropping outside the library. Hidden behind them, with owlish wide-eyes, were the two much younger boys.

"Selenius!" Artemis rushed out towards her brother-in-law. She paused as she too noticed the children. "What are you doing eavesdropping adult's conversations?"

"Is it true?" The younger, shorter girl asked. The other one, Daphne, stared at Selenius with a slightly open mouth – shocked by the revelation. "Is he our uncle?"

"Girls…" Artemis sighed.

"It'll be alright – I'm leaving" Selenius looked away.

"Selenius, please" Artemis pleaded. "W-would you at least stay for dinner?"

"No" Selenius, without turning, replied. "I have some duties to attend to".

"What about Solstice?" The woman wondered. "It would be an honour for us if you were to celebrate the day with us".

Selenius slowly turned to look at her, eyeing the expectant girls. With a dejected tone, he said "alright…" he paused "I might bring someone else with me…"

Artemis slowly nodded. "Th-that would be good" she commented.

Selenius opened the door.

"And Selenius…" said man looked at Artemis. "You are always welcome here" she declared. As he left, Artemis noticed a warm smile gracing the man's pale face.

* * *

Harry stared into the dark forest surrounding the tent, sitting there as he shuddered. Strange sounds echoed across the trees, none of which particularly worried the young man. Rather, he was too lost in thought, perplexed by what had transpired only the previous night. Hermione and he had… he blushed at the memory of their passionate moment together. While he couldn't deny he wasn't going to regret anything, it still bothered him, mostly because of how sudden it had been.

The mere thought of Ron made Harry grimace. How in the world would he explain it all to his red-haired friend? Ron would be choleric, and rightfully so, and that troubled the emerald-eyed young man.

 _Sorry, mate_ , he imagined himself saying. _I might have slept with your girlfriend while you were away_.

Harry sighed wearily. What had he done? As far as he remembered it, it had just… happened. One thing led to another and, before he knew it, he was waking up after a long stress-free night alongside Hermione. It had been so awkward that morning, trying to come to grips to what they had done, Harry would still feel flustered by just recalling the moment.

Neither of them had talked about it, almost like they had unanimously decided to ignore such fateful event from ever happening. Still, Harry was aware that they were both also rather perturbed by the whole deal. Why? Harry wasn't sure. Maybe it was the lack of real reasons behind actually getting all heated like they did.

Harry had never seen Hermione as appealing. Heck, he had been rather dense in regards to Hermione being a woman, almost as much as Ron. At the same time, Hermione didn't really find him that appealing either. They had actually confessed to each other that they actually felt more like siblings, rather than anything more. And yet, for some unexplainable reason, they had just kissed and moved a few dozen steps well past "platonic best friends". The kiss hadn't felt like magic, or something wonderful, but it hadn't felt wrong either. It was just that – a passionate intimate moment with a person of the opposite sex.

The bespectacled boy groaned. Why was he overthinking this? There was a blasted war outside, in the wilderness and there he was, mauling over –

"Hey"

Harry glanced at the tent's entrance, noticing an awkwardly standing Hermione there, draped in thick sheets. She was pale and clearly tired, but she no longer looked sad. If anything, she seemed more troubled than saddened… which was progress, considering how she had been the day before.

"Hey" Harry, feeling awkward himself, replied as he offered a lopsided smile.

Hermione, without a word, went to sit next to Harry. For a moment, they ignored each other's presence, preferring to focus on the darkness beyond. The silence between them was bound to be broken sooner or later.

"Harry… we need to talk" Hermione said. Although there was determination on her face and resolution on her voice, Harry could easily spot the hesitancy in her demeanour.

"About last night" Harry nodded, biting the inside of his cheek. He sighed, looking at Hermione. "I- I don't know what to say, Hermione. It just…" he was really rendered speechless by the whole thing. He just couldn't explain it. Words failed him.

"Yes, I know" Hermione nodded, biting her lower lip, and blushing as memories flashed across her chocolate eyes. "I don't regret it, though".

"Me neither" Harry quickly added. Hermione offered a pleased smile at that, one which showed relief. Harry, uncomfortable, scratched the back of his neck. "I just… it feels weird, Hermione – it just… I don't know".

"You don't feel like you did with Ginny, do you?" Her tone was neither jealous nor admonishing. On the contrary, it came with a tender smile of understanding.

"Yeah, but those are feelings for you" Harry muttered. "All sixth year I spent feeling this chest – erhm – monster whenever Ginny was with someone". Hermione giggled at the description of Harry's jealousy. Harry grinned at his own poor choice of words. He really had sounded a bit childish. "And when we were together it – I dunno – felt right… but I know it was wrong".

Hermione frowned. "What do you mean?" She wondered.

"Come on, 'Mione" Harry grumbled. "We both know I should have been doing other things, like actually preparing for this year! For the Hunt! Merlin's balls, Hermione, I knew Slughorn had important information and I just goofed around like an idiot". He huffed despondently, annoyed at his own laziness and inaction. "And I knew that it was wrong for me to fall in love. I have a target on my back. I was selfish".

"Don't say that" Hermione admonished. "You deserve happiness, Harry. You of all people had the right to enjoy life, considering everything that has happened to you. It is good you found love while you could, Harry".

"Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved?" Harry smirked at Hermione, who rolled her eyes and huffed, smiling nonetheless. "But like I said, Hermione, it felt right, but I know it was wrong. What happened with us…" Harry paused, wetting his lips as he took a moment to chose his words carefully. "It didn't feel wrong – or right – but… I think it wasn't wrong. I… I think it was – is right".

Hermione's eyes widened. "You mean… y-you want -" she spluttered "you want to- to be together?"

"Yeah" Harry offered a timid smile. "You are the only person I've got right now. The world is so- so screwed up right now…" he shook his head "I think it is good we make the best with what we have, and you have always been the best I've got".

Hermione blushed, grinning at him. "Smooth, Potter" she commented. Her smile faltered, suddenly looking lost and confused "but what about… Ron?" She hesitated in naming the same man that broken her heart, leaving her a mess for days.

"He left us, Hermione, and I doubt he'll be able to find us again" Harry admitted dejectedly. "He made his choice, and we made ours. I- I know I sound like a jerk -" he said, uncomfortable with what he was saying. "But life doesn't always offer second chances, and right now I don't think we have that luxury".

Hermione seemed to take those words and ponder on them, as she looked away, towards the darkness ahead. Harry glanced at her, fearful of what she would say next. She looked down at her hands, saddened, as thoughts that eluded Harry were processed in her head.

Did Harry like Hermione as he did Ginny? No, his heart wanted what it wanted and no matter how good his reasoning could be, his heart was a stubborn fool – as that of most people. At the same time, Harry's world had been cut down to just Hermione. Ginny had been missing from the map ever since they had been camping, the Weasleys could be in hiding or dead (if not worse), other people Harry knew were pretty much in the same situation as the Weasleys and Ron had left. Harry would be lying if he said he didn't long for some comfort in that hopeless world he was stuck in. IT was selfish, and perhaps tactless, but Harry knew what he wanted – and needed – at the moment, and he also believed it would help Hermione the most.

In the end, Harry's fears were for naught, as Hermione turned to look at him, and with a bright smile, she proclaimed: "I think you are right".

Harry blinked dumbly at her, surprised. "You think so?" He mumbled.

"Of course" Hermione chuckled, moving to sit closer to him. "Besides, I do feel cold these nights…" she hummed as she rested her head on his shoulder. There was certain stiffness to her movements that hinted hesitation and doubts, but Harry wasn't expecting any less from her either.

Harry took a few seconds to understand what she meant, before he smiled like a fool and wrapped a comforting hand around his best friend – his only one left. Suddenly, the world seemed neither that dark nor lonely, and Harry could now feel that it was the right choice.

* * *

Ginny Weasley was both happy, and annoyed. She was definitely happy to be outside the house for once, side by side with Selenius, as they took a rather romantic (in her view) walk in the frozen Forest of Dean – arm in arm. Moreover, she had finally managed to summon her first Dark-Hand: a massive dark-ash stallion with ruby-bright eyes that trotted proudly. Under the moonlight, the being was intimidating and radiated power, all of which filled Ginny with pride. Thankfully, she had a fine coat over her that had some spell or another to keep her warm, or else her mood would have worsened with the biting cold.

At the same time, Ginny was a bit irritable with her teacher Selenius. He was no longer the same charming guy as before, becoming a lot more distant. It was clear he was unwilling to fan the flames of her crush… and that annoyed her to no end.

The way he was acting far more professional than before irked the redhead, who was left sour with disappointment. Unfortunately, she should have seen it coming. Selenius WAS old-fashioned and had a weird sense of "honour" that disabled him from "going too far" with a woman unless it was appropriate. It wasn't that she hated it, but she wasn't exactly the patient sort, and she disliked the way Selenius was playing hard to get.

Her horse neighed, and pride swelled in her chest.

"A most beautiful creation" Selenius hummed, studying the massive stallion with glimmering Sapphire eyes. He turned to look at Ginny "fitting for such a beautiful Pyromancer".

While it was the same banter as before, the redhead didn't miss the strain and lack of affection on her words. No, each syllable was cautious and withdrawn. It hurt to hear such tone coming off him.

"Hush you" Ginny smirked "I am still angry at you".

"Then allow me to apologize for my impudent transgressions" Selenius, in mock-haughty tone, said with a bow.

Ginny laughed, lightly patting the incorrigible man in a form of faux admonishment. With a wide grin, she studied her creation, feeling the strange connection to it.

"Only you will hear its neighs, or its calls – and only you will be able to dictate its behaviour" Selenius calmly reminded her. "Why you chose the form of a horse?"

"It is my Patronus" Ginny smiled at him. "Or at least, it was".

"It has changed?" Selenius inquired, curious.

"Well, I have heard the Patronus will change to the form of your true love" Ginny shrugged, replying offhandedly. She tightened her hold on Selenius' arm who in turn appeared to want to break apart and make a run for it. "I am sure my patronus will be crow or raven".

"I hope not" Selenius hummed. "A change in the form of the Charm is generally associated with a deeply rooted change of the person, and sometimes the form is… perverted".

"Perverted?" Ginny couldn't help finding the use of that word surprisingly funny, especially coming from Selenius. He didn't find it that funny, though.

"Let's put it this way, Ginny. Say I am a stalker, and I have an obsession for you" Selenius explained ("I wish" Ginny grumbled in an undertone). "My patronus will change to a stallion only because I associate horses with you, and so that our patronus match. You see, the shape of a patronum is not indicative of the person you love but rather how deeply that person affects you. If I was, indeed, someone who has changed you in your personality, aspirations and such, and you subconsciously associate me with a raven, then… yes, I am sure your patronus will be a raven".

"And you don't want that?" Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"I rather believe that you are changed as much as I am changed by you, and thus both our patronus will change into a new form, one that shows the strength and weakness of our _friendship_ " Selenius replied kindly, offering a charming smile. He did stress the last word rather harshly, almost as if drawing a very clear line.

"You are a charmer, you know that?" Ginny whispered with a seductive voice.

"So I've been repeatedly told" Selenius hummed, wiggling his eyebrow at her. She laughed at his antics, admonishingly patting his arm. "In any case, I am amazed by your progress" he pointed at the ash stallion trotting ahead. "That being right there will unlock many powers for you, Ginny. This is – without a doubt - a great step forward for you as a witch".

"A pity we aren't taught any this at Hogwarts" Ginny sighed, pouting.

"It used to be different, very early on in Hogwarts history" Selenius hummed. "As you have probably heard, Salazar Slytherin was a very strong defender of the 'dark arts'". He rolled his eyes at the label generally given to pyromancy. "Unfortunately, as with the rest of Slytherin's legacy, it was changed and destroyed with complete disregard".

"Well, Salazar Slytherin was a bit of a bigot, wasn't he?" Ginny shrugged "Hard to win arguments when you are a blood-supremacist".

"Just because someone has offensive opinions doesn't mean they are unable to tell the truth or achieve good, or that his ideas aren't valid or worthwhile" Selenius frowned at her as he bristled at her opinion.

"He was a bigot, Sel" Ginny deadpanned.

"And?" Selenius raised an eyebrow, confused. "You are assuming one opinion is an example of his entire character" he grumbled. "Salazar Slytherin was one of the greatest wizards of his age and did a lot of good".

"He stuck a giant basilisk in a chamber so one of his descendants could kill every single muggle-born!" Ginny angrily exclaimed.

"Nonsense" Selenius scoffed. "That's mere exaggeration".

"No, I was there! I was at the famous Chamber of Secrets and I know exactly what Slytherin had put in there: one big freaking basilisk" Ginny shouted, outraged. How dare he question that traumatic experience of hers? Of course, she had been rather reserved on that event and had purposely kept Selenius from knowing anything related to that incident.

"Y-you were at the Chamber of Secrets?!" Selenius' eyes shot wide, nearly choking in horror and fascination. "Th-that's impossible! It's a myth, a legend!"

"It was opened during my first year at school" Ginny sighed, grimacing at the whole ordeal. Truth of the matter had been that a diary had pretty much possessed her at certain bits and used her to open the Chamber and attack muggle-borns (and a cat). Thankfully, by the grace of the gods, no one had died.

"But why wasn't that on any papers? I think if the Chamber had been found it would have been the news of the century" Selenius huffed, disbelieving.

"I don't think Dumbledore made it public…" Ginny slowly commented, only scowl. Why hadn't he, as a matter of fact, told the world about the Chamber or even tried to study its secrets?

"That old coot" growled Selenius. "I can't believe it. How did you find it? I believe every single Slytherin has tried at one point or another to find it, in vain – myself included".

"You searched for the Chamber?" Ginny couldn't help grinning at the mental image of a young Selenius searching in bathrooms for the entrance to the mythic place.

"Of course, because a secret vault said to contain all of Slytherin's greatest secrets isn't anything a Slytherin student wouldn't want to find" Selenius grunted, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I- I didn't find it" Ginny sighed, resigned. "There was this…" she paused. Should she tell him? Her hazel eyes went towards her, pondering on the issue. He looked back at her, expectant. In the end, she relented. "There was this diary that Lucius Malfoy slipped into my cauldron when I was at Diagon Alley, buying my school stuff".

"Let me guess, the diary was cursed and it made you open the Chamber" Selenius summarized.

Ginny blinked at her, before huffing. If there was one person who enjoyed messing up with objects, it was probably Selenius – and not like her father used to. His vast range of weapons, mostly of muggle origin and modified to Selenius' insatiable needs, was an example of that. She wouldn't have been surprised if he admitted cursing people through diaries himself.

"Yes, but it was not Malfoy who had cursed the diary" Ginny told the man. "It was -"

"You-Know-Who" Selenius interrupted her, connecting the dots. "Of course, everyone knows You-Know-Who is the last Heir of Slytherin".

"Wait, you knew that?" Ginny frowned, taken aback. From what she had found out, no one had the vaguest clue that the Heir was. Some even were stupid enough to think Harry Potter was the Heir.

"How is it that YOU weren't aware of that? Everyone knows You-Know-Who is a Parseltongue and that he is the Heir of Slytherin. He probably boasts about it every now and then to remind the world about that" Selenius replied, rolling his eyes at his maddened overlord's antics. The Dark Lord had become far too cartoonish, if not buffoonish, with his growing stupidity and incompetence.

"Ah, but I bet you don't know You-Know-Who's real name" Ginny smirked.

"Wait, you – no" Selenius, shocked, stopped dead on his feet, to turn towards her. He looked at her and was rather surprised to find no hint of lying. Somehow, Ginny had discovered the identity of the Dark Lord – something many people like Selenius long wanted to know.

"Yep" Ginny grinned. "And I won't tell you" she stated confidently, resuming her march and leaving an astounded Selenius behind "unless you make it worth my while".

Selenius might have tripped over for that last statement alone. "W-what? You can't possibly be…" but from Ginny's seductive smile, Selenius was well aware what the young girl was demanding in exchange of such important information. He hurried to her side, his head spinning with what Ginny implicated. Since when were girls so bold?

However, as she embraced his arm once again as they carried on with their walk, Selenius froze dead on his feet. Ginny frowned, confused, as they stopped their march. He looked to his left, as if hearing something. Realization dawned on the redhead: Selenius was feeling one of his Dark-Hands reporting back to him through a howl only he could hear. This one, however, was different to other times. It was not a summoning of suspicion, lost-scent or anything of the sort. Rather, it was a call of confirmation: one of Selenius' Ashen Wolves had found its target.

His sapphire eyes turned to Ginny, and through the silent night, they communicated without the need of words. She knew immediately what was going on and, with resignation, stepped back, offering a sad smile. He, in turn, returned the gesture with an apologetic smile of his own.

"Go, Sel, carry on with your hunt" Ginny sighed, sorrowful.

Selenius stepped forward and gave her a deep kiss of farewell. "Go home" he told her "we aren't done tonight, after all".

Ginny blushed, but smirked knowingly as he grinned. With a swift motion, he gave a few steps back and – SWISH – he burst in a cloud of dark smoke that quickly dissipated. No sooner was he gone Ginny released an annoyed groan of exasperation. She had been so close to get Selenius! Her Dark-Hand trotted over to her, offering some comfort with its snout.

"What do you think?" Ginny asked her faithful servant as she caressed the ashen beast. "Ginevra Greengrass has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

* * *

 **Author notes:**

 **Well, another chapter is up and I still got disappointingly few reviews... thank you MichiruKaio and LoverOfRedheads for your reviews. We are fast approaching the end of the First Act and I really want your opinions in regards of the story, particularly what you think so far, what could be improved, what you would have liked to see and so forth.**

 **Next chapter shall be a tad more interesting with Selenius finally having tracked down Ron.**

 **Best wishes,**

 **The Emerald Commander**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter VII: Tangled Webs**

A bed and breakfast… seriously? Selenius Greengrass had to stare at the place, from across the road, with certain disbelief. After months of ceaseless pursuit, with every night just spreading his servants to catch a simple sniff of his targets, he had always kept a close watch on muggle places.

There was always the option that his targets were camping out in the forest, but Selenius was more inclined to believe that his targets, which included a muggle-born witch and a muggle-raised wizard, would be dumb enough to assume no Death Eater would search for them in a muggle location. Technically, they wouldn't be so wrong to assume that. It was a fact most pure-bloods DID avoid muggles like the plague and were extremely ignorant about them… but they failed to understand that not all Death Eaters were pure-bloods – or Selenius Greengrass.

Still, it was a surprise that after so long only now his three targets had decided in venturing into the muggle road around the Forest of Dean. Many of such places had, admittedly, been attacked by Death Eaters, or rather Snatchers, as well as some of the Dark Lord's questionable new allies (if Selenius recent sword-practice against Inferi and gods-know-what-else had been anything to go by). Regardless, Selenius wasn't going to look at a gift-horse to the mouth. Instead, he calmly crossed the road and into the bed and breakfast.

The first sign that a wizard had been around was, much to Selenius disappointment, the receptionist herself. Apparently, one of the three targets had used a Confundus on the poor lady, if the vacant, creepy face of hers – with a wide smile – was anything to go by. The mistake of a novice… then again, the Confundus was one of those spells Selenius hadn't mastered so he wasn't one to talk.

"Good night, miss. Have, per any chance, three teenagers gotten a room here?" He politely inquired the lady across the counter.

"Good night" the lady cheerful replied. "Why, no, only a young man…" she blinked, confused, suddenly lost "I think?" She frowned, bewildered. "No, I don't think so. Or, wait, there was this man…" she hummed thoughtfully "but I don't think he paid… or did he?"

"Could you describe him?" Selenius wondered. "I am actually a relative, you see… these youngsters have decided to run away and – well" he sighed theatrically "you know how they are".

"Oh, I don't remember much" the lady hummed.

Selenius searched within his pockets, revealing three small card-sized photos to the receptionist. With hints of confusion (lingering effect of a misspelled Confundus if Selenius wasn't wrong) she took them and glared at them. She scratched her head, baffled.

"I- I think I saw one of them but…" she scrunched her face, concentrating. "I- I don't think I saw one of them".

Selenius slowly nodded. The one who had cast the Confundus had clearly made it so that the lady would hand over a key to a room and easily forget about it all. Thing was the Confundus was more meant to disorient and confuse rather than re-direct the actions of a target. For that there were other spells, like the Imperius. Then again, he doubted any of the three snot-nosed brats had what was needed.

Instead, Selenius pulled the photos back in one of the dozens of inner pockets of his trench coat and drew out a golden coin. He looked at the lady, offering a kind smile.

"Thanks for your kind assistance" he politely told her.

"Why, you are welcome" the lady, still giving a vacant smile, replied. She was suddenly confused "what for again?"

But by then it was too late. Selenius closed his eyes and flipped the golden coin in the air. The receptionist tilted her head, perplexed, as her eyes followed the movement of the object. It flicked and flipped, up in the air and then – FLASH. All light-bulbs flickered for a brief moment as a bright light inundated the room. Her eyes widened, only to remain in that state, as if frozen in time.

The golden coin fell on Selenius' open palm, and he opened his eyes. The receptionist remained unfazed, staring dead ahead, with hollow eyes. The dark wizard didn't spare a thought as he moved over to a side corridor that led to many rooms. With a soft whistle, two Ashen Wolves materialized before an outstretched hand, sniffing around their master right away.

"Find them" he told his two servants, making sure no one had arrived.

From what he could see, the lady was still staring blankly dead ahead, dazed. It wouldn't last for long, but afterwards she would have forgotten the last fifteen minutes or so of her life. The trinket had been Selenius' finest invention: an obliviate spell embedded within a golden coin, which he had dubbed "A Galleon for your Thoughts". The Ashen Wolves didn't even bother sniffing door for door. With their abilities, they immediately raced straight to one. Selenius' targets were behind it.

Now, Selenius hesitated. The last time he had moved in wand-blazing he had been knocking off his arse and made to (painfully) roll down a flight of stairs. That had led to a delay in his plans, unfortunately, and probably worse. There was no telling what the Weasleys would be telling their allies. Selenius would probably never get the chance to surprise anyone across a Fidelius again. Then again, perhaps Selenius would gain some well-earned reputation.

The question remained, however: how should he deal with the current situation? Storming in was not an option. Selenius was a sucker at duelling, and there were three teenagers in there. He could take out two (with luck) but odds were stacked against him – and that was considering they weren't better trained than he could predict. Potter HAD set up a small Defence against the Dark Arts club of sorts and he had managed to somehow escape Death Eaters before when the odds were against him (though Selenius summarized the failures of other Death Eaters as mere incompetence).

Selenius shrugged. He reached out for the wolves' silver urn and, from within, summoned a pack of ten to aid him. They would storm inside and quickly jump onto them. It would make sure they were too distracted or distressed to try apparating. The question would be if they had some emergency Port-Key. Selenius really hoped the three brats were too dumb for that.

He had to hurry. At any moment a muggle could show up, and with the noise he was about to make (he doubted he could cast a strong enough casting spell to work all over the room and entrance of hall) there were bound to come at least one person to investigate. With his wolves ready, Selenius aimed his wand at the door-knob.

Without a word, he swiftly casted an "alohomora" on the door-knob. There was a click and, with only a gesture of his hand, the wolves rushed in. The door was slammed open, and Selenius stepped to a side, making sure no stray spell would hit him.

"Wha – ARGH!" Selenius heard from inside.

It was then that he stepped in and shut the door behind him. With his wand raised, he prepared to attack his foes. However, what he saw was not what he had expected. There was a young dishevelled boy in travelling clothes struggling against the wolves, rolling around his mattress. Other than that there was no one else. However, Selenius didn't hesitate. He trained the wand on the young man and, with a flick, shot a silent Tongue-knotting curse.

"Petrificus Totalis" He whispered at the young man, who was looking at him with horror, before he went rigid, hands slapping against his sides and staring dead ahead, all too frigidly and unhealthily pale.

Selenius looked around, wand still high. His wolves all surrounded the petrified boy and weren't moving.

"Search for the others" he commanded. The wolves vanished, a sign that there wasn't any scent - or essence like magical signature – for them to trace. Selenius frowned with confusion, only to look at the petrified target. Carefully, he approached the target. With a wave of his wand aimed at the light-switch, the lights turned on, allowing Selenius to confirm the nature of his prey.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley" Selenius felt his breath hitch as he looked at the unmoving young man. He couldn't believe… finally, he had caught one of them.

Unfortunately, it was the Weasley boy. Where was Potter? More importantly however was the fact he was separated from the others. From the get-go, Selenius could tell something was… off with the whole situation. It wasn't like he could feel like it was all a trap, but more in the lines that perhaps he had made some assumptions that might have been wrong – like that Potter had remained together with his two well-known friends. Then again, Ronald could actually be scouting ahead, searching for supplies, being a decoy or meeting someone.

Selenius needed intel. Technically, if he offered Ronald to the Dark Lord, Selenius was bound to at least avoid getting tortured – if anything the Dark Lord would be pleased with the progress. At least he, the Dark Lord, would have a hostage to pull out information and use against Potter. However, knowing the Dark Lord, it could be counter-productive. The Dark Lord was losing his mind, or had lost it at some point, and there was no telling if Ronald could survive the encounter. Moreover, Selenius needed more information, from Ronald, to carry on his hunt and maybe handing him over wouldn't be a bright idea. There was also the fact Selenius didn't feel like handing over a victim to the Dark Lord. After all, if Potter was searching for the means to destroy the Dark Lord or had been told by Dumbledore, Selenius wanted to know that first and finish off the dark bastard himself. No, perhaps Selenius needed to go for another approach.

He summoned his wolves, calling them in. The others were not in the vicinity so it was pointless to dwell for any longer. Instead, he returned the Ashen Beasts to their urn. Selenius looked at Ronald, smiling under his hood, before extending a hand and grabbing the boy. Ginny was about to get a pleasant surprise.

* * *

Ron Weasley knew he was a goner. There he was, the Dark Hunter himself! How had the bastard freaking found him? Ron wasn't sure but he cursed his stupidity, his inability to stay awake and his lack of skills where he needed them… that and the fact he decided to leave the safety of the Order and wander off to Merlin knows were because of a weird artefact left by Dumbledore. Just great! This wasn't how it was supposed to end.

With a whimper, he tried to struggle as the Dark Hunter grabbed him, in vain. He was, after all, under the spell of the Full-Body Bind Curse. Ron had to wonder why he hadn't use the curse on Pettigrew on his third year at Hogwarts. However, his thoughts quickly changed drastically to his fate as he felt a cold, horrible feeling washed over his very being. It was like apparition in the sense he felt his body move and shift, but at the same time it was smooth and rough. He certainly didn't expect to suddenly land on a wooden floor and for the Dark Hunter to loom over him with a satisfied smirk.

"Sel!" A familiar voice exclaimed.

Ron could only struggle with futility as he heard someone come over. He was, however, baffled by the sound of – what was it? – a female teenager. He had expected Voldemort or Death Eaters. Maybe this was a Death Eater in the making? It was a pity he couldn't move. There was a loud gasp that intrigued the petrified man.

"Ron?"

Ron's eyes would have widened, if only he could move. Instead, he was forced to remain like that, staring at a wooden ceiling, as a very familiar – and unlikely face – moved over him. It was Ginny, his little sister. He couldn't believe it. She was alive! She was alright! And she was… wearing a dress?

"Ron!" Ginny exclaimed, her hazel eyes as wide as saucers. She stood up and turned to the Dark Hunter. "Where did you find him?"

"In a muggle inn, a… bed and breakfast as they call it… on his own" Selenius told Ginny.

Ron wanted to frown with confusion… it was irksome to want to gesticulate but be forced against it. Ginny leaned over to study him a bit more. By then, Ron wanted to yell at her to help him up so they could escape. However, a part of him was still lost with the whole interaction. Why were Ginny and the Dark Hunter interacting in such friendly manner?

"It IS him, right?" Ginny wondered.

"My Dark-Hands recognized him as your brother, so he probably is your brother" the Dark Hunter replied. He moved over to Ginny's side to lean over as well.

Ron tried to cry out for Ginny to run, or at least help him. It came out like a long desperate hum which earned amused smiles from the Dark Hunter AND Ginny.

"Perhaps I should unbind him" the Dark Hunter proposed.

"Do you have to?" Ginny grinned at him.

"He is your brother after all" the Dark Hunter replied. She pouted at him a cute manner, one that would have made Ron's eyes widened – if he could freely to move. "Although first…" he bent over and started searching Ron. At that moment Ron attempted to wiggle out of his state, horrified, as the Dark Hunter started pulling things from his pockets. Ron felt his life escape him as the Dark Hunter took his wand, but that reaction was nothing to what the Dark Hunter extracted next.

"My, my, my I didn't think you were the type to smoke" the Dark Hunter joked as he studied Dumbledore's put-outter.

"What is that?" Ginny wondered.

The man opened the lip of what had first looked like a lighter. "It looks like a muggle lighter – a small hand-held device to create a flame" the Dark Hunter replied, squinting at the artefact with interest "but I don't think your brother is the type to indulge in muggle addictions…" he looked at Ron with a raised eyebrow "nor do I believe he needs a lighter".

The Dark Hunter made the Put-Outter click and Ron's eyes widened as the light of a nearby oil-lamp literally flew out to the tip of the Put-Outter. Both Ginny and the Dark Hunter stared at the device, amazed. Ron felt furious, and that was mixing up with desperation of his helpless position. How dared that bastard bewitch his baby sister? He was NOT going to let the Dark Bastard get away with that. Thinking about what the bastard could have done in her bewitched state only incensed him more.

"Wicked" Ginny commented.

"I think… I think this is one of Dumbledore's creations" the Dark Hunter remarked in awe, holding the Put-Outter up over his head. Ron's fury was reaching its peak. The Put-Outter had been a gift from Dumbledore and the only link to his friends. Ron was not about to let those filthy hands do anything with it.

"But what is Ron doing with it?" Ginny pondered.

Ron struggled against his bindings, slowly finding he could move a bit. The spell was fading, and quickly. With renewed effort, he wiggled and squirmed, earning raised eyebrows from both the Dark Hunter and Ginny. While Ginny frowned at him, scrunching her face with confusion, the Dark Hunter rolled his eyes and whistled.

The young man's efforts were cut short as a massive shadow swept from every hole and crack, jumping onto Ron in the shape of an ethereal ash wolf. With blood-red glowing eyes, the creature gaze almost chilled the lad's veins, making Ron freeze in his place.

The Dark Hunter sighed, staring despondently at his wand before irritably shaking his head. Ginny didn't notice, huffing and puffing irritably as she walked over to his fallen brother. She shushed the ash wolf, who silently growled at her. Ginny was unfazed, instead choosing to glare at Selenius. The man grimaced and released a soft, reluctant whistle after which the Dark Hand vanished back to its lair.

After helping a terrified blundering brother up, Ginny hugged Ron. The young man, in turn, stiffened, uncertain about what to do next, only to embrace his younger sibling back. In that small intimate moment, all fears faded away in the comfort of each other. After so long, they found each other. Of course, such moments couldn't last forever, much to Ron's chagrin.

"What in the world were you doing in the Forest of Dean, Ron?!" Ginny screeched, her face a fiery red, as she abruptly broke the hug.

To Ron's credit, he didn't shy away. However, he did stare dumbly at his sister, his jaw going slack with shock.

"Don't you know how dangerous it is? There's been all sorts of attacks!" Ginny exclaimed.

Ron's eyes widened, gobsmacked. His gaze, though, swept to the Dark Hunter, who stood there, as if entertained by the reunion.

"I – you" Ron spluttered, befuddled. "It's his fault" he proclaimed with an accusing finger aimed at Selenius.

He quickly realized he had sounded really stupid. The look on Ginny's freckled face was more than enough to reinforce that feeling. She thought she was an idiot, apparently.

"He's the one who has been attacking muggles all around the Forest of Dean!" Ron elaborated, as if to save himself some dignity.

Ginny, though, was not impressed. "Oh really? And how do you know that?" She huffed, folding her arms in front of her, daring Ron to challenge her any further.

Much to Ron's puzzlement, with that dress on, he was awfully reminded of their mother, if only less plucky and with a strange fire in her chocolate eyes. Ron opened his mouth to speak, to say something, but found himself at a loss. Even though he knew he was right, even if he felt absolutely certain that the Dark Hunter was involved in all the deaths that have happened around and inside the Forest of Dean, Ron couldn't bring himself to say so.

"You are with the Order" Selenius suddenly hummed.

Both Weasleys' eyes widened at that, one in fear, the other in shock. Their eyes quickly met, Ginny trying to draw the truth from Ron's gaze while said young man stepped back, daunted by Ginny's piercing bright brown eyes.

"You are with the Order?" Ginny wondered, frowning at her brother. "Are mom and dad alright?" She hesitantly asked.

Ron opened his mouth to answer that, but found himself that his tongue would not move. He tried thrice, each time giving off a strange gurgle as he tried to speak. Ginny looked at him like he was a moron (a rather familiar sight, actually) something that didn't help easing Ron's worries. Why couldn't he say anything?

"Are they alright? Ron, what's wrong with you?" Ginny asked, concerned.

"He can't answer" the Dark Hunter hummed, sounding awfully intrigued.

He cautiously approached the siblings, a hand thoughtfully stroking his chin as his glowing sapphire eyes studied Ron. Said man stepped further back, against an old wall, feeling every fibre in his body tightening in fear. Ginny, differently from her brother, stood next to the man, staring at him with a pair of large, expectant hazel eyes.

"Why not?" Ginny queried.

Ron shivered as a cold smirk crawled in the Dark Hunter's face.

"Your brother here seems to have been sworn into the Order of the Phoenix, or maybe to their secrets" explained Selenius. "He will not be able to disclose anything in relations to the Order…" he raised an eyebrow at Ron. "However, since he can't tell you about them… I think this means your parents are safe and are active members of the Order" he added, turning to Ginny.

He placed a hand on the teenager's shoulder as she went over what Selenius had just said. This, of course, didn't go unnoticed by Ron.

"Stay away from my sister!" Ron cried out. He reached out for Ginny and forcibly pulled her away from the man.

"Hey!" Ginny protested, violently nudging her brother on the stomach. Ron predictively recoiled at the strike, loosening his grip, and thus allowing for the girl to escape his grasp and rush to Selenius side. "What the hell Ron?"

"Please" Selenius sighed tiredly, raising both his hands in a diplomatic manner. "Let's try to be civil here…"

"Hey!" Ron shouted as his hands massaged his hurting tummy. He glanced down to where Ginny had nudged him only to glare daggers at Ginny "what's your problem? I'm trying to help you, y'know?"

"For your information, Ron, I don't need your help" Ginny haughtily huffed as she theatrically dusted herself off.

"He's – he's…" Ron spluttered, pointing an accusing finger at Selenius, only to pause. He dumbly stared at said man, who merely stood there, an eyebrow raised, contemplating the redhead's actions. "He's a Death Eater!" He blurted out.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Right, because a Death Eater would definitely bring you to his home" she scoffed, folding her arms. "Don't you find it strange he hasn't done anything to you since the petrification wore off?" She added with an irritated huff.

Ron frowned, turning to look at Selenius once again. He wasn't going to deny the fact he was a bit confused by the Death Eater's lack of interest or action. Heck, Ron wondered by he hadn't been tortured or handed over to Voldemort by now. However, he couldn't bring himself to concede the point to Ginny. Firstly, Ron had already been told all about the Dark Hunters evil doings. Secondly, you never conceded a point to Ginevra Weasley – ever.

"That's – that's because he's playing with our minds!" Ron insisted, growling at Selenius. The man, in turn, simply smiled at Ron. The Dark Hunter was, to say the least, rather entertained.

Ginny pinched the bridge of her nose, visibly frustrated with her brother.

"No, it must be it! Ginny, you don't get it. He has been going around butchering innocent muggles!" Ron carried on.

"Oh right" Ginny muttered, her face turning red with anger "and let me guess. The Order actually found dead people and never actually saw Sel doing anything, am I right?"

Ron opened his mouth to retort, only to found himself emitting weird choking sounds. He frowned at Ginny, only to scratch his throat.

"Ginny, he can't give away anything relating to the Order – not even unintentionally" Selenius murmured to the girl.

"He can't even nod?" Ginny wondered, baffled.

Ron's eyes widened at that. Just what manner of Oath had he taken?!

"Uh, this should be fun" Selenius chuckled, amused. "Try to answer with a nod if you can. Does the Order know about me?" he told Ron.

As it so happened, it seemed that, indeed, the Oath forbade Ron from even hinting or gesturing a response that might give away information pertaining the Order of the Phoenix… even a simple opinion or observation. In turn, Ron was starting to panic. There was something about having an unresponsive body that could scare just anyone.

"Merlin's saggy balls" Ginny exclaimed in shock. Her face flushed a crimson red of embarrassment as she noticed Selenius looking away and choking out a laugh. "What has the Order done to you?" She asked Ron.

"This is bonkers!" Ron gasped in disbelief. He quickly shook his head, trying to focus back with the task at hand. He looked at Ginny. "It doesn't matter. You have to believe me: that guy is evil! He's a Dark Wizard. He's a – Grah- GRUSH…" Ron frowned, finding himself unable to say 'pyromancer'. Why in the world couldn't he say that? It wasn't exactly a secret, was it?

"He's a…?" Ginny, like her brother, frowned. She turned to Selenius, worried. The Dark Hunter, in turn, seemed amazed by Ron's limited ability to speak.

"He's a blasted Death Eather!" Ron spat, glaring daggers at the Pyromancer. "He actually – GAH!" Ron's eyes widened, blue eyes shining with shock. "He actually – Grah – mom and dad – Glurgh". He clenched his fists, growing desperate. He wanted to tell Ginny that the Dark Hunter had actually tried to kill (or at least capture) their parents.

"Mom and dad?" Ginny squinted at Ron, perplexed. She turned to Selenius. "What does he mean?"

The man in question, though, merely shrugged.

"He – mom and dad – home!" Ron stated, fighting to spell those words out. It was simply infuriating how little he could actually say about the Dark Hunter's attack on the Burrow.

"Selenius and Mom and Dad?" Ginny frowned, scratching her head. "What…?" She shook her head, bewildered. "Ron, you aren't making any sense!"

"Oh, I think what he means" Selenius hummed, placing a comforting hand over Ginny's shoulder. "A few weeks ago I tried to breach into the Burrow to get to your parents. Your mother though beat me badly to kingdom come before I could even explain myself".

Ron blinked, dumbfounded, at the Dark Hunter. Had this Dark Wizard… confessed to his crimes? He turned his blank face to his sister, who so happened to be rather confused.

"What? Why would you do that?" Ginny wondered.

"The same reason I brought you here. The Death Eaters were targeting you and your family. The least I could have done for you was to get to your parents and inform them that you were safe, and to warn them" Selenius told her. He offered a sheepish smile. "I… didn't expect to get my pride handed to me like I was. Your mother has quite the knack for spells when she is angry".

"She does" huffed Ginny with a smile, only to frown. "Why didn't you tell me before? And… weren't they behind a Fidelius Charm?"

Selenius sighed. "Unfortunately, your parents were not under a Fidelius Charm. It was a strong protection ward; that much I am certain… but it was no Fidelius. A similar charm… but it was not as fool proof… something that was evidenced by my success to reach them" he turned around, slowly pacing with guilt and shame. "And… I was rather afraid you would be angry with me if I told you, that and you probably would have been rather mad at me for trying to get you to your parents when you had decided otherwise" Ginny sent him a reluctant nod conceding that last point. Selenius looked down, averting Ginny's gaze with a saddened and shadowed face. "But I messed up, Ginny. Thanks to me, your parents probably have fled to a less secure location".

"Oh, Sel…" Ginny murmured, placing a gentle hand on Selenius' shoulder. "You actually did them a favour" She beamed with a tender, grateful smile. "If you reached them, then Death Eaters might have too and… and…"

Ron stood there, gobsmacked, unable to comprehend what was going on.

"Are you mental?!" Ron squealed, his voice becoming high-pitched with utter disbelief. "He admitted to trying to get to our parents! He tried to kidnap them!"

"Oh, Ron, stop spewing such nonsense and use your head! Had Selenius wanted to capture mom and dad he would have called in Death Eaters or the Dark Lord himself instead of going alone, or he would have simply left and tell everyone how to get to mom and dad" Ginny retorted. "He might not look it, but Selenius is not a powerful wizard. He's an amazing person and a talented Pyromancer, but he can't cast some spells and has trouble with many of the more powerful ones". She sent an apologetic look at Selenius who shrugged back at her. "He knows he couldn't capture mom and dad alone".

"Well – I…." Ron frowned as he tried to think of some meaningful excuse to rebut her sister. "He didn't need to be powerful! He was planning on getting the jump on them!"

"Stop being ridiculous" huffed Ginny, rolling her eyes. "Break through the Fidelius…" she shook her head "are you even hearing yourself? It's impossible! Not even the Dark Lord could break into a Fidelius! And Selenius is not even as powerful as you or me".

"Ouch" Selenius theatrically winced, placing a hand over his heart with a faux pained face. "That hurts my sensibilities" he added with a playful glint in his eyes.

"Sorry" Ginny giggled, blushing "but you know it's the truth".

"You are forgiven, my fair maiden" Selenius dramatically bowed at the young teenager, who giggled more at his theatrics.

Ron looked at them with disbelief. He opened his mouth to protest, to try to fight back against such preposterous argument. It couldn't be right… the Dark Hunter couldn't possibly be a good wizard, could he? No, the Order couldn't be wrong about this man. And yet…

He frowned. Could it be possible that the Dark Hunter didn't have any ill-intentions? No, he had kidnapped Ginny. Well, he had kidnapped Ginny from under a Death Eater headmaster and Death Eater teachers so if the Dark Hunter was a Death Eater then… no, it didn't make sense. Why would the Dark Hunter REMOVE her from the grasp of Death Eaters? It didn't add up.

Well, the Dark Hunter did try to attack his parents… but Ginny was right. Since when did Death Eaters attack alone? They always raided in numbers, or it was You-Know-Who alone. Had the Dark Hunter found the means to break through a Fidelius and he was also a Death Eater, wouldn't it have made sense for all Death Eaters to start breaking into the Fidelius Charm too? Or You-Know-Who?

"W-what about the deaths around the F-Forest of Dean, huh?" Ron asked, challengingly.

"I'll admit I have been involved in the burning of various places, like a gas station, and a camp at the forest, but not for the reason you believe. I have actually been trying to clean up after the Death Eaters aggressive actions, trying to predict them and fight them where I can. Sadly, I am not powerful…" Selenius sighed. Ginny rushed to his side, clinging to an arm comfortingly. He offered a thankful look at her. "I have managed to escape by mere dumb luck few times as it is…"

"He's telling the truth" Ginny told Ron with a sad face. "You can't believe how he has returned some nights, shaking after being hit by the Cruciatus… Selenius is honourable, Ron. He's not the man you think he is."

"Well, eh – so I – no" Ron shook his head.

What? The Dark Hunter had been out there trying to clean after the Death Eaters? It couldn't be right but… Ginny didn't appear to be lying. Had the Dark Hunter actually been endangering his life for others? Ron refused to believe it. His gut told him not to fall for the trick, that it was all a lie… but he couldn't see any evidence to support that.

He leaned back against a wall, feeling trapped. So Ginny had been safe all along? The Order was getting overworked over an innocent fight? No, wait, that didn't make sense.

"Wait, you know about the Order but didn't join it? If you are against the Dark Tosser and his minions then you should have joined us!" Ron commented, feeling as if he had finally been vindicated.

Ginny and Selenius traded knowing smirks before turning to Ron.

"That would be because… I AM a Dark Wizard" Selenius confessed.

He raised a palm over his face and, in a burst of sparks, a fireball was formed. It burst an ethereal emerald and glowed with an eerie light that mesmerized Ron.

"WE are Dark Mages" Ginny corrected with a proud smile. She mirrored her master, raising an open palm, only to conjure a small flame.

"We both know the Order of the Phoenix doesn't cater well to Dark Mages, now does it?" Selenius kindly offered to a thunderstruck Ronald Weasley.

* * *

Selenius grinned, fighting a full-blown laughter. He couldn't believe it: he had dodged one massive bullet. Oh, it had been so funny to hear Ginny actually defend him against her own brother. He couldn't deny his chest swelled with pride and affection for Ginny. She was an incredible girl. Gullible and naïve, but she was proving to be both useful and an excellent student.

Now things couldn't be any better! The Ronald brat was now stuck in his own lair, an unknowing prisoner who might actually be swayed to believe that he, Selenius an actual Death Eater, could help him and his blasted friends. Oh, victory was so close. Selenius could feel it. Tricking Ronald to tell him more about Potter would be so easy…

He leaned back on his comfy sofa, in his small office as he snickered to himself. Under the faint light of a candle, he stared at the large map of Great Britain. The irony… Both Ronald and Ginevra were right and wrong, intentionally misled by Selenius and betrayed by their assumptions.

Suddenly, all mirth vacated Selenius with a nasty realization. With a grimace, he looked at the flames of the candle. He couldn't keep this lie forever, could he? At one point, the truth would be fully out and nothing would stop Ginny from realizing how he had manipulated her. His heart ached at the thought of being confronted by her, of her leaving him… after ages of solitude and isolation in Europe, Ginny had offered a kind of company no muggle or magical woman had achieved during his exile.

He took a deep breath as errant thoughts plagued his mind. She was bound to leave when the truth finally caught up to them, so why couldn't he enjoy the most of it? Why shouldn't he take her? Why did he resist when she was such a willing party? He shook his head, fighting off the growing urges to fall under the temptations. No, he was not going to be a creep that abused of a minor's trust. He was better than that. He had been raised better than that…

That didn't mean Selenius could actually stop wondering what it would be like. It was so very tempting… and wrong… Selenius reached a hand to the candle, eyes plagued with growing darkness.

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave…" the Dark Hunter softly said, his voice turning to carnal growl "…when first we practise to deceive" he finished saying, enclosing the flame with his hand and shrouding everything in darkness.

* * *

 **Author Notes: Another chapter ended. So... thoughts? What do you think about the story? Are you enjoying Selenius Greengrass? Any suggestions? Your opinion is always welcome, so please, REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII: Godric Hollow  
**

Harry felt his mouth dry as he trudged across the snowed path with an arm wrapping around Hermione. Side by side, the couple walked down the street of Godric Hollow. The small village was picturesque, and there was little to nothing that suggested that the War had spread into the place. Then again, it did appear to be an isolated location and, truth to be told, neither Harry nor Hermione could quite imagine what a magical war actually entailed – although admittedly they did picture such conflict to be similar to the muggle counterpart to some degree. He glanced at Hermione, who shuddered under the falling snowflakes.

It was rather odd to be walking across civilised space in the open in such a manner, especially after months of being stuck in the tent. Sadly, it was because they had been stuck in the tent for so long that they decided to take such a risk. They both knew there was a high probability of enemy agents hanging around. However, they were out of ideas as it was. If Godric Hollow offered nothing, the couple had decided to try Hogwarts, like Ron had suggested. After all, Ron had had a point: Sirius HAD been able to infiltrate the school, and there were passages to do so. With the Marauders' Map, they had an advantage.

Why Godric Hollow? It was more of a long stretch really. They had been discussing this and that, going on and on about possible spells to destroy Horcruxes. Harry was sure the Killing Curse could do the trick, but Hermione was adamant against trying, not because she thought it wouldn't work, but because she was certain the ramifications of using such curse would be too great to take, at least for the time being. Hermione had spoken about Dumbledore's theories (the old man had apparently published books Hermione had with her, surprisingly) in regards to the damage to the soul inflicted by dark magic. Harry had found such ideas questionable at best, but who was he to question Dumbledore and Hermione? One thing led to another and they quickly talked about any places where the old man could have hidden hints for their hunt.

Godric Hollow had been Dumbledore's childhood place, and there were people who had been close to the Dumbledore hanging around. It kind of made sense to try there… that and Harry had always wanted to visit the place where his parents had died and where Voldemort had first been defeated. He believed that perhaps Dumbledore would have known of this desire and hidden something for them there… but that was a bit far-fetched. It was, unfortunately, their best lead at the moment.

"To think this is where history happened" Hermione suddenly said as she looked around. "In these very streets, Riddle was defeated the first time…"

"And my parents were murdered in cold blood" Harry sighed, crestfallen.

"They were betrayed, Harry" Hermione reminded him.

Harry nodded, still saddened by the thought. Perhaps coming to this village hadn't been such a good idea.

"D-Do you want to… go to your house? I mean, to the house where your family… Ehm… Where – where it happened?" Hermione asked, hesitantly. "I would understand if you don't want to".

"It's still standing?" Harry frowned, confused.

"Yes, it has become some sort of a monument for the magical community" Hermione retold. "Or at least, it was. I doubt Riddle will want to keep a reminder of his first defeat anywhere close to visible".

Harry thought about it. Did he really want to go where his parents had been murdered? Where Voldemort had been defeated? Where everything changed not just for him but the entire magical community? He took a deep breath, nodding. It would be for the best. Maybe there would be a clue as to what exactly had happened nearly sixteen years prior that fateful Halloween night…

"I think we should go" Harry told Hermione. "But I would like to go and see my parents first" he added.

Hermione frowned as he tried to figure out what the bespectacled wizard had meant, only for her eyes to widen with realization. Biting her lips, she nodded in agreement, and tightened her hold on him, offering as much comfort as she could.

"Let's do that" she softly said, smiling at him. He wanly smiled back.

The two carried on with their walk, inconspicuously glancing around for anything suspicious. After all, the enemy could be lurking in the shadows. The air was relatively silent and still, although Harry could make out the faint echoes of… choirs?

"Harry, I think… I think it's Christmas" Hermione murmured, taken aback by the revelation.

Harry was equally surprised. It was Christmas, already? Damn, how time had flown! And that was not a good thing. He knew he was supposed to be cheery about the date but… he couldn't, not with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Merry Christmas, Hermione" Harry told his companion.

"Merry Christmas, Harry" She replied as she gently rested her head on his shoulder.

There was a prolonged silence between the two as they carried on across the desolated streets of Godric Hollow. They stole glances at each other, stray thoughts of happier what-ifs invading their minds, but overall, they were lost in the moment. They both felt odd, realizing they were in the middle of nowhere, in some miserable hunt, with a war raging on all while living through a festive day.

"Where do you think they are buried?" Harry suddenly wondered.

"W-we should try the local church" Hermione spluttered in response.

She pointed at a structure that fitted a church's description, not far away. Harry looked at it, emotions flashing across his emerald eyes, before the couple changed their course towards it.

"I am an awful son…" Harry sighed as they walked around the church to where a forest of gravestones greeted their gazes.

"Don't say that, Harry" Hermione huffed, shaking her head. "You are a wonderful person and you have always wanted your parents. I am sure they would be proud of you" she shoot a worried frown at him, one marred with befuddlement. "What makes you say that?"

"Hermione… for all my wanting to know more about my parents… I never bothered much with trying to learn anything about them" Harry confessed as they crossed the small gateway into the graveyard. "For Merlin's sake, 'Mione, in our first year you knew more about my parents than I did – and I still think you do".

Hermione bit her lower lip, tilting her head in a rather familiar bossy pose Harry had long forgotten about. She had, after all, been able to contain her bossiness for so long… that, or the excruciating circumstances had long humbled her.

"I will be honest, Harry, you are one of the most mediocre people I know" she confessed, looking physically hurt by uttering such a thing. "I don't mean like in power or skills. Of that you have plentiful but…" she offered a pained smile "you are neither inquisitive nor driven. You are curious sometimes and completely careless at other times… it's almost like you have a switch where you sometimes remember you don't know about certain things or suddenly want to learn about them and then, most of the time, you are… well… like shut down".

"Ouch" Harry replied.

"I'm sorry" Hermione looked down, embarrassed and ashamed for being so blunt and hurtful towards Harry. The couple were moving from gravestone to gravestone, searching.

"Don't be" Harry sighed with a grimace. "You are right, after all. I- I really can't explain it".

"I could but – I think I've been a bit harsh enough" Hermione mumbled.

"Hermione, please, tell me. I've learned to take your opinion seriously a long time ago – especially since you are rarely wrong" he encouragingly stated, offering a lopsided sheepish smile.

Hermione scoffed, but grinned nonetheless, elated by the kind words. "I don't want to be mean but…" she hesitated, biting her lower lip and glancing at Harry, who stared at her expectantly. "I think it was Ron's and my fault".

"What? Nonsense!" Huffed the raven-haired wizard.

"Think about it, Harry. You told me you used to like reading, but you no longer do. You didn't know you were a wizard, like me, but you seemed to take it like it was nothing… I think you emulated Ron" Hermione offered.

"Wait, you think I – what? – followed his example?" Harry looked at her, disbelieving.

"I think, instinctively… yes, you did" Hermione slowly nodded, only to offer an apologetic smile "and I might have reinforced it on you. Ron was lazy, and you followed his example, but I probably made it easier for you to be lazy and, with my bossiness and know-it-all ranting, you probably lost interest in pretty much anything".

"Don't be ridiculous, Hermione" Harry shook his head. "I am my own person".

"Harry, Ron was your very first friend, the first friendly person in an entire new world. Is it so strange to believe you instinctively tried to be more like him so that you wouldn't fear losing his friendship?" Hermione wondered. "He has always had confidence issues, so it stands to reason you might have purposely – if not unconsciously - tried not to stand out or overachieve so as not to make him feel worse. You probably didn't try to work harder so as not to affect Ron's sensitivities".

"Hagrid was the first friendly magical person I met, actually" Harry corrected, only to add. "But it can't be that. Ron is my best mate and he is a good person. He couldn't have – what? – ruined me? That's it?"

"It isn't ruining your personality per se" Hermione, unconvinced, amended with reluctance. "More like guiding you to a wrong path. I'm not saying Ron is an awful person but… he is really flawed – we both know that. That and probably the lack of responsible adults were your undoing. You didn't have guardians that encouraged you to do better, after all. That must have affected you far more than anything. If anything, I would say most adults in your life had guided you in a worse path, with Dumbledore looking or even rewarding your reckless actions or your relatives being extremely negligent in your upbringing".

Harry soberly scowled at that. Even when he would never see them again, the Dursleys casted a large shadow in his life. It was horrible to think Harry had wasted his potential, regardless the reason. After all, now that he needed to be more than 'just Harry' he found himself cursing his inability to improve himself. It was too late now.

"I think my fame did a lot of damage too" Harry sighed warily, shaking his head at a stranger's gravestone. "I didn't want to be the Boy-Who-Lived. I wanted to be just Harry – a normal boy" he spat the last part, bitter for having actively tried to be a mediocre person. "I really didn't want to stand out…"

"I guess luck was not in your favour" Hermione remarked.

"No, I was an idiot and that was it" Harry grunted. "I wasted my time when I should have started to be better".

"You were a child, for God's sake. You didn't know any better" Hermione said.

"Dumbledore did – and he didn't say a thing, not even last year" Harry muttered, only for his anger to be replaced with sadness. "And look at us… the Smartest Witch of her age and Just Harry… yuppie".

"Harry, don't start brooding on me" Hermione admonished with an angry face. "You have been doing fine these last days".

"I had you with me" Harry grinned at her, earning a chiding slap on his shoulder. He chuckled as Hermione growled softly with disapproval.

"You start throwing cheesy lines from self-help books, Potter, and I WILL leave" Hermione huffed irritably.

"Self-help?" Harry blinked at her, only for him to cringe.

Her face said it all: she had discovered Ron's little book given by the twins… a book meant for young wizard to learn how to attract young withces. While it sounded like a good idea in theory, Harry could understand the flaws in practice, at least for someone as proud as Hermione.

"We both know exactly what I'm alluding to" Hermione grunted with disdain. Her eyes went across a gravestone before the two moved onto the next one.

"Hey, he was trying to improve himself… for you. Isn't the effort worth it?" Harry forced a very strained placating smile that looked off on his face.

"If Ronald wanted to improve himself he should have started by looking at his bloody flaws and improving on them! Not take some foolish excuse of literature!" Hermione growled.

Needless to say, it was not every day Hermione Granger discouraged someone to read a book…

"Hermione…" Harry pleaded.

"Sorry, sorry, it's just that -" Hermione separated from Harry, waving her hands in what Harry could only assume was a strangling stance. Harry didn't want to assume but… it seemed Hermione felt like strangling someone at the moment. "I am so angry at him. I can't believe I actually cried for that idiot! URGH – he was always so exasperating and – urgh!"

"Hey, hey" Harry stepped towards her and gave her a hug. She, in turn, took a deep breath and buried her face on Harry's chest. He gently patted her on the back. "Easy there, 'Mione. Yes, he was a bit – erm – frustrating, y'know, but that is Ron. We are flawed, aren't we?"

"I guess" Hermione sighed, conceding the point. "It's not the flaws he has, Harry, but his stubbornness not to do anything about them! I just can't believe I felt something for him…"

For some reason, Harry was disturbed by the use of past tense. He wasn't sure why, though, because it made sense. He was with Hermione, as an item, now. It was to be expected that she would start feeling things for Harry and let go of his feelings for Ron. And yet, the young man couldn't help feeling a lump forming in his gut. Was he guilty of stealing Hermione from Ron?

"What could I have seen in him?" She asked Harry, stepping back for her chocolate eyes to bore into Harry's emerald.

"Well…" Harry thought about it. "He is a handsome lad – I'll admit that in an heterosexual way" Hermione giggled at that "a quidditch player, a loyal friend, has a good sense of humour, stands up for his friends, can be entertaining and – well – isn't that enough? I guess Ron's best quality is… well…" Harry smiled as he shrugged "being Ron".

"I am not sure. He is pig-headed, has poor table-manners, is constantly arguing with me, can be really stubborn when he knows he is wrong, has a lot of self-confidence issues, and lashes out more often than not…" Hermione trailed off.

"Hey, you are just saying that because you are pissed off about him leaving. I can bet a hundred galleons that he wanted to return as soon as he apparated away but couldn't because of your wards" Harry replied.

Hermione seemed like she wanted to dismiss such an idea, but at the same time, appeared unwilling to start an argument. In the end, they just looked at each other, with Harry confidently smiling at her, and the witch staring dubiously at him, only for them to carry on with their search and forget about their chat. Side by side, they strode onwards. From gravestone to gravestone, they continued with their mission. Even when it was so cold, and even if they were perhaps in not the merriest place, they kept trading smiles, the type shared by those who knew the same secret. Was it childish to act like that? Indeed, but with all being so dark and cold around them, that bit of warmth between them was beyond gratifying.

It was hard to tell how long it took, but when Harry saw the names, all joy in the world vanished. He went rigid, as still and cold as the nearby gravestones. It felt as if the winter chilling air fully washed over him. He felt weary as his eyes laid on the familiar names, and a wave of sadness washed over him. Hermione looked at him, worried and sympathetic.

This was where Harry's parents were buried, together. It was… strange to be there, staring down at their names engraved in stone. However, it was the sentence written alongside their names, as an epitaph of sorts, which caught his attention.

"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death"

Harry stared at it, disbelieving. "Who wrote that in their graves? It looks like something Tom would say" he stated, outraged. A part of him actually wondered if maybe Tom or one of his minions hadn't come over to desecrate his parents' graves.

Hermione silently nodded, only to squint at something else she noticed. "Hold on a moment, Harry, I've seen that symbol before" she pointed at it over the heretical phrase. Harry blinked, only now noticing said symbol. It was a triangle with a circle fitted inside and a line cutting it in half. He frowned at it, feeling a tingling of familiarity in the back of his mind. He did recall seeing that symbol before, actually.

She gasped "that's it! That was Gridenwald's symbol!" She grinned. "That must be a clue!"

Harry frowned. He didn't recall that. As a matter of fact, he did remember seeing it elsewhere but definitely not a history book. "Hey, wasn't it in the book Dumbledore gave you?" He asked.

Hermione blinked at the carved icon, before nodding dumbly. "Yes, you are right" she said, only to gasp, beaming at the young man at her side. "Harry – this is a clue! A clue left behind by Dumbledore" she reasoned.

"It's a terrible clue – and why did he desecrate my parents' grave to carve a graffiti?" Harry, seething, pointed an offended finger at the taunting symbol.

"It's not a graffiti Harry" Hermione haughtily huffed.

"W-well, I don't give a damn" he spluttered. "It looks like something of a children's book" Harry added with disdain. "He shouldn't have put that there… or that phrase. It sounds wrong".

Hermione sighed. "How about this? Once we finish our mission we'll return and change the gravestone if you don't like, alright?" She suggested.

Feeling like a petulant child, Harry nodded, before solemnly staring at his parents' grave. While still irked by the stupid words marring the gravestone and that ridiculous symbol, he felt a sense of soberness settling in as he reminded himself that this was, as a matter of fact, his parents resting place. He stared on, lost, as old buried feelings surfaced. For the time being, he would ignore the desecration of his parents' grave. As a matter of fact, such angry thoughts were washed away as memories flashed across Harry, his re-reading the names over and over as if conjuring old feelings.

Harry remembered when he first learned how his parents had looked like in the Mirror of Erised, a magical artefact that showed your deepest desire. He could recall well the few mentions of his parents in Hagrid's tales, most of which were vague and reinforced the idea that they were some kind of heroes. He could also bring forth the images that had been within Snape's pensive, the greasy potions Teacher's worst memory, about none other than James Potter tormenting Snape and Lily Evans stepping in. Pictures of Harry's album, made by Hagrid using a compilations of photos asked from friends and acquaintances of Harry's parents, popped in Harry's head one after another, memorized from the nights he had studied them over and over… like the photo of his parents dancing with happy faces, or the one at their wedding with vibrant smiles… who could have guessed the fate that was stalking them?

It was strange to think that, buried there, beneath the ground, were his parents, immobile and dead. This was, all in all, the closest he had ever been to them since their deaths. That thought was extremely morbid in Harry's mind, making him shudder. Yet, at the same time, he sobered considerably more with that thought.

He suddenly felt so lost and confused. James Potter, the father that had been taken from him, the man Harry wanted to meet and talk… a man who would only live on as someone else's memories instead of his. A bully and a troublemaker, a gallant Gryffindor and proud father, Harry felt himself swell with sadness when the full realization that he would never know more about his father hit him. Tears prickled at the ends of his eyes, but he sniffed and pushed them back. Too proud to break down, he tried to remain strong – like his father even in his latest moments.

Hermione noticed the young man's struggle and, with a saddened face of her own, took his hand, and offered all that she could in Harry's moment of grief. She closed her eyes, sharing Harry's pain. It hurt to know and understand her friend's suffering, empathizing with him as very few ever could.

Lily Potter nee Evans had been said to be the most wonderful of people, with a heart of gold and a mind of a genius… Harry realized that all he knew about her was rather idealized. She sounded like an angel that fell from heaven, and saw the good in James' Potter naughty heart. Lily Potter was a woman who, in the darkest moment of her life, stood firm with love and dedication. She refused to let her son die before her eyes, and – even when courage failed her – did what a mother would do for her child. Her ultimate sacrifice, an act that invoked incredible power, was the greatest sign of love – for Harry, a love Harry could not remember or feel. Lily… a woman Harry would never know and who he owed so much.

By then, Harry felt like his heart promised to jump out of his chest. Each beat was like a stab, and waves of grief forced him to keep his eyes closed, as he struggled against the tears. He gritted his teeth, fighting back the swelling storm of emotions in his chest... Hermione tightened her hold on him, tears of her own marring her face.

Harry fell on his knees, as the burden of his grief pushed him down. He stopped fighting it and, instead, the dam broke. Tears burst out of his eyes and he cried… and cried. His face scrunched painfully as the ever-consuming sadness enveloped him.

Why? Why did they have to die? Why did he have to be an orphan? Why? Just… why? He punched the cold floor, demanding answers that would never come, while Hermione held onto him, as if she was the only thing lifting him from falling deeper into the ground. She too cried, unable to contain her own emotions. It was heart-breaking as it was, without even considering what awaited beyond Godric Hollow.

Was it an hour or ten minutes? Harry wasn't sure but time passed too slowly before he stopped crying. He remained on the floor, kneeling and sniffing, as he stared into the gravestone. The names haunted him, pulling out every ounce of sorrow his scrawny body could contain. He felt empty after all the crying.

"M-mom… d-dad" he croaked, unsure on what he was doing. Hermione didn't interrupt him, latched on to him and unwilling to let go. "It's been some time" he managed, somehow, to smile awkwardly, dry tears biting his cheeks in the cold of winter. He gulped, pondering on how he should continue. "I'm sorry I haven't visited before but I…" he trailed off, pausing, only to sigh. "I don't have any excuses".

He looked at the grave, depleted of sadness and with only hollowness filling his guts. It was like he had a hole in his chest. As his emerald eyes studied the stone yet again, he couldn't help wondering what his parents would have thought about him. Would they have been proud? Yes, he had been brave and considerably noble in his quest to defeat evil, rescuing loved ones and doing the right thing. Right?

"I – I wish I could talk to you… at least once" Harry confessed. "I- I really want to know what you think about me".

"I'm sure they would be proud" Hermione whispered comfortingly.

Harry scoffed, although it came off as a choking sound. "Sorry, I forgot – Mom, dad – this is… Hermione. She is my best friend and – and probably the reason I'm here, alive".

He could picture his father, acting like Sirius had, saying something in the lines of teasing, while he could imagine his mother offering kind words of appreciation to Hermione.

"I'm sorry I couldn't bring my other friend but… he has his moments" Harry added.

"That's putting it lightly" Hermione grumbled.

Harry, for reasons beyond him, smiled at his friend's words when he thought he should at least try to stand for Ron. Then again, he felt too tired and empty to bother.

Harry sighed, depressed. "I don't know what else to say and – and… damn, I suck at this" he muttered.

"This is the first time in years that you grieved your parents' death, Harry" Hermione stated. "You have always wanted a family and missed your parents… I don't think you ever allowed their loss to sink in".

"Of course I allowed it to sink in. They are dead" Harry scoffed, as he stood up. He helped Hermione up, while she started patting snow off from both of them.

"That's not what I meant" Hermione sighed with frustration. "Merlin, Harry, don't you get it? For someone who really wanted them to be alive you have never actually bothered to face the fact that they are dead. Take all Halloweens we had at Hogwarts. Did you ever stop for a moment to mediate that that was when your parents died? Have you ever even put a thought about them other than who they were?"

"What's the point?" Harry thought he was supposed to be angry, that he was supposed to feel irritating flare up in his chest, and yet, he was resigned, unable to bring forth anything other than defeat in his voice and heart.

"What's my point? Harry, I don't want to call you a hypocrite, but for someone who really wanted your parents alive, you really never showed you really cared. You rarely asked about them to Hagrid, in fact it was Hagrid who mentioned them. You never bothered to learn more about them. The worst part is… is that you just didn't care – at all" Hermione explained, looking pained for pointing out such hurtful facts.

Harry grimaced. "I think I was like that with anything… other than Quidditch. Magic was awesome and wicked… but I couldn't care less about learning it. A mass murderer was out there seeking to kill me? I couldn't give a damn". He sighed, eyes closed. "I'm a mess".

"No, you are Harry James Potter" Hermione rebutted, cupping his face, forcing him to stare straight into her determined chocolate eyes. "You are just flawed, like everyone else. You cannot change what you did, Harry, only what you are going to do".

Harry frowned, only to look at the gravestone. To some point, the grave of his parents was a good representation of his past. It was there, unchanging, glaring back at him and bidding for memories. But Hermione was right. He turned to face her, and nodded, determined. Wallowing in self-pity was not going to change anything. Brooding about the what-ifs was pointless.

"I need to become better" Harry decided. "The world – no, I need to grow in a man capable to defeat Tom, even if I fail…" he added grimly.

"You are not going to fail" Hermione fiercely declared. "I'm going to make sure you don't".

They shared a smile right there and then, their eyes locked into each other, before turning to face the gravestone. They both knew that the time to leave had arrived. Harry looked at Hermione, silently wondering how he could bid farewells to his dead parents. Hermione, in turn, thought about it for a moment, before smiling kindly and, with a wave of her wand and a soft murmur, summoned flowers over the gravestone.

Harry looked at the flowers, wrapping an appreciative arm around Hermione. The two remained there, with Hermione resting her head on Harry's shoulder, as they stared at the grave. Harry was no longer empty, but rather there was new found determination inside. He was going to make both his parents proud, not just as the Chosen One and avenging their deaths, but by bringing justice to the world and becoming a better person.

"M-my word, it can't be!" Someone gasped behind them.

Harry and Hermione, startled, spun around towards the source, wands in their hands and ready to destroy the intruder. However, as spells reached their lips, they paused, seeing an old lady, staring at them with a slacked jaw. Was she a muggle? Was she a passer-by? Was she dangerous?

The lady was hunched over a walking stick, which she held as if her life depended on it, staring at the two young adults with onyx eyes lost in a sea of wrinkles. A long protruding hooked nose was aimed at Harry and Hermione, while the rest of her head was hidden under a handkerchief tied in as a hood.

"You are Harry Potter!" The woman murmured, horrified. "I knew you were mages as soon as I saw magic but – dear Lord, what are you doing here? In the open?" She looked around, terrified. "Quick, follow me!"

Harry and Hermione exchanged looks. Harry wanted to follow her, eager to get news about the world and what had been going on recently. Hermione, however, was far more reluctant and sceptical of a dear old lady just meeting them at a gravestone. In the end, they followed the woman if only because they really didn't have anything better to do at the moment and she had a point. Besides, if she had been an enemy, wouldn't she have summoned allies like other Death Eaters? Attacked them from behind?

"Excuse me, who are you?" Hermione politely asked as they caught up with the old lady.

"I am Madam Marchbanks, although I doubt you recog-" the woman replied with a haughty huff.

"You are the author of Hogwarts, a History! That's my favourite book" Hermione exclaimed, amazed.

"SHHHH" the woman shushed them, stopping her march to study their surroundings. "It is not safe, you dunderheads!" She hissed fearfully.

"There are Death Eaters around?" Harry asked softly, looking around with similar worry.

"Hmmm? Death Eaters? Dear Lord, no, those bumbling idiots have lost their edge a long time ago" Marchbanks dryly chuckled, only to grimace soberly. "No, it's the Dark Hunter…" she led them down the street at relatively hurried pace, straight to a cottage.

"Dark Hunter?" Hermione frowned.

"You haven't heard? Good Lord, you two, where have you been?" The old lady wondered, taking a moment to study them carefully. "The Dark Hunter! One of the most powerful Lieutenants of You-Know-Who!"

"Huh?" Hermione and Harry chorused. "Who's that? Malfoy?" Harry inquired with a dumb look on his face.

"M-Malfoy? As if!" she snorted, amusement glimmering in her dark eyes. It was short-lived, however. "No, dear lad, but now SHUSH – just wait until we are safe".

With that said, the young adults remained silent, following after Madam Marchbanks. Down a stone-path, the three strolled onwards towards to what must have been the old lady's house. Triangular and tall, it was made entirely of brown wood and hazel thatch. With round windows at each side of the oaken door, like two eyes at the side of a mouth, Harry could see a very funny looking face staring back at him from the house. It was, as he quickly dismissed it, a very stupid thought.

"But who is this Dark Hunter? Lestrange? McNair?" Hermione, intrigued and concerned, wondered. She turned to Harry for confirmation, who shrugged helplessly.

"Nobody knows" Madam Marchbanks admitted as she searched for her keys. "People believe he might be You-Know-Who's son!"

Hermione and Harry traded baffled faces. Was that even possible? By then, however, the old lady had found the key she was looking for and opened the way into the cottage. They followed after her, only to be greeted by warmth. It was strange to realize that it had been months since they had last been under a roof. Madam Marchbanks led them inside into a small library, where with a wave of her wand lit up a fireplace on the wall to their left.

"But what about the Death Eaters or Tom – I mean – You-Know-Who?" Harry asked.

Madam Marchbanks turned her heads towards a distant couch behind her and, with a silent wave of her wand, it went towards her, allowing the old lady to fall on it with a sigh of relief. Only then she decided to address the two young adults.

"I am not sure, dears" she sighed tiredly. "There had been word of raids against muggles here and there but since the start of the year, with the implantation of the muggle-born registry, it has been rather quiet – a bit too quiet if you ask me. That is to say, it was too quiet until the Dark Hunter showed up".

"What can you tell us about this Hunter?" Hermione queried.

"Not much, dears, all I know is mostly gossip, you see" admitted Madam Marchbanks. "From what I've heard, however, he is a nasty, scary person – that he is". She nodded, all too sure of herself. "Rumour has it that he broke into various Fidelius and scared the wits out of You-Know-Who's enemies".

"That's impossible" Hermione huffed and puffed in response as she crossed her arms with indignation. She disliked gossiping and rumours, after all, especially the outlandish sort. Harry, at the moment, shared her feelings on the matter.

"Oh, that's why people are so scared – more so than You-Know-Who" Madam Marchbanks decided to ignore the scowl in the young woman's face. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has been surprisingly absent these days. I am not complaining – although I am not feeling any better with the Dark Hunter. You should hear what it is said about him".

"Why is he called the Dark Hunter?" Harry frowned, tilting his head with confusion.

"Oh, dear me, how I could have forgotten!" Madam Marchbanks exclaimed. "Yes, according to the rumours, he has been ordered by You-Know-Who to capture you".

"Me?" Harry blinked at her.

"Yes, and he has made sure to leave a trail of destruction in his path" the old woman nodded. "Moreover, scuttlebutt has it that the Dark Hunter commands shadow creatures to its will, some say wolves, other claim they are hounds from the pits of Hell… in any case, he has been seen all over Britain, with his loyal dark servants sniffing around and killing all those who have seen him. So far, no one who has seen him has returned alive".

"Then how did the rumours spread?" Hermione challenged.

"That's easy, dear, we haven't gotten a Pyromancer running around this country since 1861" Madam Marchbanks replied as if it was obvious. "Only a Pyromancer leaves so much destruction behind, and he must be a new person in this War given how he wasn't in the last one". She decided to stand up. It was something which appeared to be such a struggle that Harry immediately went to assist. "Speaking of wars, there was something Albus left to me that I think might be useful for you…"

Hermione and Harry exchanged surprised looks.

"I don't understand why but – it was the strangest evening I had ever had" Madam Marchbanks recalled as she went over to a bookshelf, a weak trembling hand searching over it. "He just showed up, last year and… well… talked. We had a few cups of tea and – dear Lord – I knew something was up". She huffed irritably, as a grandmother to a misbehaving grandson. "That man thought I wouldn't see past him… I supposed he might have counted on that – the mischievous man".

"What did you talk about?" Hermione inquired, intrigued.

"History, mostly" Marchbanks replied with a surprised face. "I must say, that was not what I had expected – but Albus was so stubborn about it…" she shook her head with disapproval. "It was really odd. With everything going on, it was odd that he would want to talk about the Founders and certain artefacts of theirs".

Harry's eyes widened. "R-really?" He stammered, composing himself. Hermione too was surprised by that.

"Yes, he actually said it was to distract himself, but I knew better" Madam Marchbanks grumbled as she kept searching. "Oh dear, where did I leave it? Well, in any case, we spent an entire evening just trying to figure out how much was myth and how much was real. I actually wrote down a list for him, one he kindly asked me to make".

"A-A list?" Harry's voice hitched at that. Could have Dumbledore foreseen he would show up eventually and know Madam Marchbanks could offer insight to the Horcruxes?

"Of course, Madam Marchbanks is a renowned historian!" Hermione whispered in his ears. "She must know all of the artefacts Riddle used for his hor- for them".

"He never showed up to get it and he had been rather adamant that I didn't owl it to him" Madam Marchbanks carried on, oblivious to the whispering. "I am not sure why he asked me to write such a list, but knowing his scheming ways and foresight, I wouldn't be surprised he would have wanted for you to have it". She froze, suddenly contemplative. "I actually believe he did hint that you might show around… something about keeping an eye on the graveyard. How had he foreseen it?" She released a rude snort at that. "We'll never know".

"S-so this list… what is it about?" Harry asked.

"Oh, all the remaining Founder artefacts" Madam Marchbanks replied. "I have no idea what it has to do with anything… still, since he found the Sword of Gryffindor, it wouldn't hurt to find more artefacts to aid him in the fight, I suppose". She glared at the books. "Now, really, where did I put it?"

"Perhaps you could try to summon it?" Harry suggested.

Hermione looked at him, impressed. "That's not a bad idea" she admitted. Harry wasn't sure whether to feel insulted or flattered.

"Of dear, of course I could" Madam MArchbanks sighed, slapping her head. She raised her wand over her head and, straight afterwards, one of the books fell. "A-Ha!" She cried victoriously. Another silent wave of her wand and the book flew straight to her hands. Harry couldn't deny he was rather impressed by all the displays of wordless magic. Inside, hidden between old yellowish pages, was a piece of parchment. "If you need to hide a leaf, do it in the forest" she chuckled "pretty clever place to hide it, isn't it?"

Harry, hesitantly, took the list, looking over it. Hermione hurried to his side to read as well. In a fine scripture, both young adults saw a list of artefacts. However, it didn't only give names but it offered additional insight to their location or status:

 _Ravenclaw's Tiara: It was stolen by her daughter and has been lost ever since. Should ask the Grey Lady for more information._

 _Hufflepuff's Cup: It was an heirloom that should still be with its rightful owner – so far I've traced it down to Hepzibah Smith, although since her death the Cup has been lost in time._

 _Slytherin's Locket: Owned by the Gaunts, the last known descendants of Salazar Slytherin. Like the other relics, it has been lost._

 _Gryffindor's Sword: currently at Hogwarts. Who knew it was stuck inside the Sorting Hat?_

Harry couldn't believe it. This was it, the other Horcruxes, or at least the likeliest candidates! Dumbledore hadn't completely abandoned him! Hermione too was equally elated by the list and enthusiastic about the options. While admittedly this didn't put them anywhere closer to finding the Horcruxes, it was a merit of its own to at least know what they were looking for.

"I remember Smith from one of our lessons" Harry admitted "it was one of Dumbledore's guesses…" The tiara, though, was admittedly an entirely new suggestion. "Miss Marchbanks" he addressed the old lady "did Dumbledore leave something for me? Did he say something that I might need?"

"Well, now that you mention it, he did say you would be most interested" Madam Marchbanks hummed, smiling gleefully. "He did say how it was you who found the Sword of Gryffindor, and Albus believed you were developing an interest in those artefacts, or at least he hoped you would be more fortunate than him in finding them" Harry grimaced at that. "I was rather shocked, I daresay – students these days are little more than mediocre dunderheads who care more about Quidditch than anything of relevance". Harry felt rather guilty about that, and it didn't help Hermione sent a knowing look his way.

"I did go an extra step and search more about those relics Albus was so interested in" Madam Marchbanks once again went over to her book shelf, with renewed energy. "I intended to show him once he returned. Since he won't be returning anytime soon – or at least he shouldn't – I suppose I could show you". This time, thankfully, she found what she wanted quickly enough. It was an ancient looking tome with three visible markers.

"This old thing has been in my family for generations…" she explained wistfully. The way she looked at the book was far more reminiscent of a mother staring at her child than a smelly old tome. "A pity I never bothered marrying…" she sighed with sadness "I was so interested on my career – on my future…" she huffed, annoyed. "I forgot to live, clearly. Now look at me: an ancient old hag in the twilight of life with no one to give all of this and living my last days on my own". Marchbanks sent a tender look towards Hermione "trust me, lass, grab the good lad here and marry him before he decides to run away".

Harry and Hermione blushed at that, and averted each other's gaze, unwilling to comment on the old lady's words. Said old lady, however, chuckled devilishly enjoying the way she had teased the young couple. Madam Marchbanks handed over the book to Harry, who accepted it with a thankful nod.

"S-so what's this?" Harry asked, clearing his throat. Hermione, on the other hand, took hold of the tome from Harrys hand and started to go through it.

"A compendium of all relics" Madam Marchbanks answered, returning to her seat. "Keep it, young man, as I believe it will be of more use to you than me – with You-Know-Who and all that madness out there".

"Harry, look" Hermione said, nudging Harry. He looked down at her hands, noticing the drawn image of a Tiara. It took Harry longer than it should to realize that he was looking at a detailed schematic of Ravenclaw's Tiara.

"I assumed Albus would want to know how they looked like" Madam Marchbanks explained absentmindedly. "He seemed so interested in them… you two are welcome to stay here for as long as you require."

Hermione and Harry, with baffled expressions, traded surprised looks.

"Oh, it – it won't be necessary" Harry spluttered.

"Nonsense, I will not have two innocent young fellow mages outside in this cold, especially with the Dark Hunter out there" Madam Marchbanks declared with an air of finality. "You, Potter, are the future of our community. The least I can do is offer my hospitality".

"Ehm… thanks, Madam Marchbanks but we seriously shouldn't be here. We could get you in danger and -" Hermione was saying before she was interrupted.

"I am very old, dear, and I have very few – if any – friends left. My death will amount to nothing" the woman bluntly explained. "Your deaths, however… I wouldn't forgive myself if it ever happened – and neither would our people. It's the least I could".

Harry and Hermione traded faced of uncertainty. Should they take the offer? They didn't see why not, particularly given all the clues she had already given them. Moreover, she clearly didn't have any ill intent and, if anything, she could still prove useful. The two smiled, silently agreeing that, perhaps, it would hurt to accept the lady's kindness.

"Then it's decided. I shall prepare a room for you two lovebirds – and then we'll have dinner!" A cheerful Madam Marchbanks proclaimed, making Harry and Hermione blush profoundly.

What the three residents of the house were unaware of was that outside, in the darkness, a pair of glowing red eyes were staring at the building. The ethereal form of a wolf, sitting in the middle of snow and trees, remained facing the cottage with the utmost fixation. The ash wolf glared at the place where its prey was, before giving a howl – or at least trying to. No sound came out from its mouth… and yet, that didn't mean it wasn't heard.

* * *

 **Author notes: So, what do you think of the story thus far? Please, review! I'm really interesting in reading about your opinion in regards to my OC and the plot thus far. Do you have any suggestions?**


	10. Chapter 9

**Act II**

 **Chapter I: Solstice Dinner  
**

"This was not a good idea" Darius Greengrass grumbled to his wife.

Artemis rolled her eyes as she walked past her husband, a large steamy silver platter in her hands. Dressed in a beautiful light blue dress that matched her eyes, her honey hair was combed into a bun on her back. She elegantly soared over to a large table, where silver cutlery had been laid in waiting. From the tiniest of forks to the mightiest spoon, the gleaming silverware was a boastful display of light over the crimson tablecloth.

"He is your brother, Darius" Artemis sighed as she laid the platter at the very centre of the elegant dinner table. She allowed herself to smile, as everything remained seemingly perfect, before turning to face her husband with a harsh glare. "In this house, we respect tradition and the old ways, Darius, and that means family".

"It's still a mistake" Darius mumbled, shaking his head. With a fine Victorian emerald-suit, he was the epitome of poise. Admittedly, had he been any less scornful and anxious, he might have looked somewhat imperious rather than haughty and haggard.

"What exactly bothers you so much about your own brother?" Artemis grunted, annoyed. She was a very patient woman – gods knew how motherhood had tempered her soul. However, even she had a limit and Darius grating insistence was truly testing her. "He has done so much for us already…"

Artemis would be lying if she were to claim she didn't feel any remorse. On the contrary, she had been quick to believe Darius about Selenius, even when she had whispering suspicions of a different tale. It had been so easy, so comfortable, to put behind the dark era they went through… but now, the shadows of the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters reigned supreme, and complacency was not an option.

"You don't get it!" Darius hissed, stepping close to his wife. He glanced around, making sure they weren't eavesdropped by any naughty children. "Selenius has always been greedy. He's the sort of person that wants power for power's sake. It's – it's…" he struggled for a moment, frowning, as he tried to find the correct term. "It's like some sort of inferiority complex or something".

"That means he needs of us… of you" Artemis hummed with an admonishing huff. "Please, Darius, he might have changed. Give him a chance".

Darius grimaced as her wife smiled at her baring a face that the man could not resist. In the end, Darius huffed and puff, frustrated, before admitting defeat. It was inevitable, and Artemis knew it.

"Alright, alright, it's the least I could do for everything he has done for us" he reasoned, albeit begrudgingly.

"That's the spirit, dear!" Artemis giggled, pecking his husband's lips.

Darius kept a sour face, though, as if he was both annoyed by her wife's good-intentions and the fact he was forced to celebrate Solstice with his younger brother. A part of his mood, though, were his nerves gnawing on his soul. This was the same brother he had backstabbed in favour of his wife and children, a brother he had been meant to protect and guide and, instead, thrown to the wolves. True, back then it was barely a choice, with the Dark Lord himself baring down in all of his nightmarish presence, but it still brought a sense of guilt within the proud man.

"Oh, please, Darius, do try!" Artemis sighed, exasperated.

The only response her husband offered was a low, guttural reluctant grumble.

All of a sudden, the two adults froze as they felt a faint tingling in the nape of their necks, accompanied by a shiver. Someone had crossed their wards, a stranger accompanied by a familiar presence. Darius looked at Artemis, silently asking for confirmation. All it took was one smile to know exactly who had just crossed the perimeter into their property. Thus, Darius scowled.

"He's here, and he appears to have brought a young woman" Artemis' eyes were dangerous bright with glee. Her husband wearily shuddered, cautious about that look of hers. If anyone loved gossip, it was definitely Artemis. Darius' scowl only deepened at that.

The married coupled calmly walked towards the entrance, one with stiff reluctance, the other elegantly gliding across the house. They stopped a few feet from the door, only to trade faces again. Whilst Artemis smiled brightly, Darius grimaced. He did try to soften his expression… after a harsh glare from his wife, of course.

"Let's just get on with this" Darius muttered under his breath.

With a triumphant air around her, Artemis stepped forward and, regally, opened the door. Right past the threshold, stout and strong, was Selenius, clad in his usual dark green trench coat. His sapphire eyes glowered under the shadows of dusk, and his short hair waved in the harsh winter winds. It was his companion, however, who drew Artemis', and Darius', attention.

She was a very elegant young woman with long, silky blood-red hair that had a porcelain white skin and a strange poise to her stance. There were faint specks of what might have been freckles, although they were somehow faded. In a gothic crimson dress and a matching coat to guard her from the cold, she smiled at them. Her eyes were, though, the most disturbing feature on her person. Where there had once been brown, there was an eerie hazel that came close to yellow, holding a faint hellish glimmer much like that of Selenius, if only far fainter.

Artemis glanced at her husband, sharing a moment of confusion. They could both feel something was… off with the girl, but it was hard to understand what. Still, those eyes were rather disturbing. That didn't daunt Artemis one bit.

"Welcome! It's so good to see you again, Selenius!" Artemis exclaimed as she proudly beamed at her brother-in-law. She stretched her arms and, in one surprise move, embraced a startled Selenius.

The Pyromancer, a bit too shocked by the human touch, released a strange strangled squawk. His gaze turned to Darius, urging his brethren for support, or at least an answer. Darius, though, cracked a smile as his wife constricted his brother with her boundless love. The unknown young lady giggled at Selenius, only to find herself much in the same position soon after.

Selenius chuckled as Ginny squeaked under Artemis' motherly affection. He turned to Darius, sobering for a moment.

"Brother" Selenius politely said as he nodded to Darius.

"Hmmm" hummed Darius before he puffed up his chest. "Selenius…" he softly added, extending a stiff hand.

Selenius mechanically stretched out a hand of his own. Tied by blood, the two wizards shook hands. They tightened on each other, their owners' gazes locked competitively onto the other. When they broke their greetings, Selenius and Ginny stepped inside, while Artemis closed the door behind them, cutting of the wintery air from the warmth within.

"Please, please, make yourself at home" Artemis joyously proclaimed. "Allow me to take that coat, dear…" she said, addressing Ginny.

"Artemis… Darius… let me introduce to you Ginevra Weasley" Selenius said. "Ginny, this is Artemis Greengrass Nee Selwyn, and Darius Greengrass, my brother".

"My goodness!" Artemis exclaimed, flabbergasted. She wasn't the only one. "A Weasley! Under my roof" she laughed, lightly nudging Darius "never thought I would see the day I would host a Weasley to a Solstice Dinner".

"Not just any Weasley" Darius hummed, squinting at Selenius. "She is Arthur's daughter, isn't she?"

"You know my father?" Ginny asked, mildly surprised.

"Know him?" Darius gruffly muttered. "He has 'raided'" he air quoted "this very house over five times in a decade – each time worse than the time before. Of course I know him".

"Why?" Ginny frowned, baffled. "Why did my father raid your house that much?"

"Because of my dear brother" Darius glared angrily at Selenius, who shamelessly tried to stifle a snicker behind a fist. "If there is one person in our entire Magical land known for misusing Muggle artefacts, it is certainly Selenius here. I don't know if you are aware of this, but my brother has garnered a bad habit of tinkering with all sorts of muggle garbage. Thus, any time some ruddy mage baited muggles, your father would immediately assume Selenius was back in town – and hiding here!"

"I didn't know you had a passion for muggle tek-know-logy" Ginny hummed at Selenius. She had, however, already noticed how much muggle objects the man kept in his study, something she hadn't bothered to question before.

"It's technology" Selenius corrected, rolling his eyes "and I wouldn't call it a passion. I…" he trailed off, unsure "…I merely found many fruitful uses for what many would have considered garbage".

"Why don't we sit down?" Artemis interceded with a grin, holding Ginny's coat on one arm. "While it's entertaining to chat by the door, I think it would be far better to make ourselves comfortable, wouldn't you agree?" She turned to Darius "call the children, dear. I am more than certain they would love to meet their long lost Uncle".

Before Selenius and Ginny could respond, Artemis literally pushed them over to the Dining Room. As a matter of fact, all they could do was dumbly stare at Artemis as they were whisked away to the dining room and onto their seats (with Selenius sitting at the head of the table and Ginny at a side). They were almost forced down before their hostess vanished off to the kitchen. The couple exchanged baffled expressions, only to share amused smiles.

Ginny shyly looked around. She was unused to such surroundings. For starters, it wasn't luxurious. Far from it. There was an air of humbleness that pervaded everything beneath the wooden ceiling. She could even say there was a hominess to it all and a feeling of warmth. Still, she studied everything with apprehension. She was in the home of Pure-Bloods… Selenius' family. Tall shelves held many painted plates and cups, from simple china to what was merely decorative in all forms and shapes. Family pictures had long conquered what little space remained, including ancient portraits of what one could assume were the Greengrass of old, as well as far more recent images.

The Greengrass had never been notorious blood-supremacists like the Malfoys, but that was because they were neither as outspoken nor influential. Ginny though knew that most pure-bloods did have such leanings, if mostly in private. Selenius had struck her as rather decent in regards to that, but she had the strong feeling that he wasn't exactly appreciative of muggles and muggle-borns, although his love for muggle artefacts could be evidence of the contrary.

"Are you sure Ron will stay asleep?" Ginny whispered to Selenius. It came out as a hiss, dripping with nervousness.

"Relax" Selenius chuckled. He took hold of her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "My family will not divulge anything, not unless Darius has strayed from our parents' teachings, which I doubt. And yes, Ronald will be snoring for the entire night".

"What manner of potion did you use?" Ginny wondered.

"Oh, it was no potion" Selenius dryly chortled, embarrassed. "I am awful at potions… so I might have used muggle sleeping pills. They are just as effective but ten times more accessible than sleeping draughts". Selenius did not bother to add that it was easier to steal from a muggle with his beloved 'Galleon for your thoughts' than from a mage at Diagon Alley.

Ginny was about to inquire about these "peels" when their hostess returned.

"So, Ginevra, dear, what's your relationship with my brother-in-law?" Artemis inquired as she hovered over them with a platter filled with small delicacies.

Selenius and Ginny hungrily looked at the platter, one which was offered to them. Truth to be told, all the food, including that on the table, looked strange yet delicious. Ginny had never seen such cuisine before, and being hungry, she was rather impatient to dig in already. As they each grabbed what caught their attention the most, Artemis laid the platter on the table and went to sit down opposite them next to the other end of the table.

"Call me Ginny, please" Ginny mumbled with a blush. "And I am actually Sel's – sorry, I mean, Selenius' – apprentice".

"Indeed?" Artemis' eyebrows raised on her forehead with surprise, before frowning at them. "Dear, Ginevra is such a beautiful name. Ginny is a bit… childish".

Before Ginny could actually formulate a retort, they were interrupted by what sounded like a herd of stampeding buffalos. Whatever it had been, it quieted down just outside the Dining Room right before a rather flustered Daphne Greengrass haughtily made her entrance, briskly brushing her long blue dress down. She was followed by a mischievous-looking Astoria, whose pearl-blue dress was a fine mess, and two energetic boys, both clad in small Victorian fitting suits – closely resembling their father. All four children froze by the entrance, petrified by Selenius' presence. Not even the stoic Daphne was unable to hide her surprise – and excitement. Her eyes, though, jumped onto Ginny. In the span of a second, Daphne's face morphed into utter disbelief.

"Come on, children, don't tarry" Darius huffed and puffed behind the lot.

As one, the children hurried onwards and towards the table, rushing to sit down. They didn't stop glancing at Selenius, who confidently smiled at them all, while Ginny blushed, unused to such situation. Darius marched after them, looking irritated, changing course towards the remaining chair at the other head of the table.

"Astoria" sighed Artemis. "What have you been doing?" She shook her head at her daughter, looking rather disapproving. "Just look at your dress!" She exclaimed, mortified.

"I didn't do anything" the young girl in question hastily responded.

"She tried to steal my letters" Daphne scoffed in a cold, dignified manner next to her sister and opposite her mother. Astoria sat between Daphne and Ginny, grinning madly at the redhead.

"Daphne has a secret boyfriend" Astoria conspiratorially told Ginny. She didn't speak softly enough, though.

"I do not!" Daphne hissed at Astoria. If looks could kill, Astoria would have been long past 'deceased' – she might have been in the lines of 'obliterated', actually. "I have more important matters to tend to than love scuffles…" condescendingly huffed the eldest Greengrass daughter.

"Girls" Darius warningly said. Just like that, both daughters dropped the subject entirely.

Ginny looked around. The food was already served and steaming. The smell was beyond alluring and the young woman found herself salivating a bit too much. And yet, no one moved onto the plates. It felt a bit too formal, too stiff… and at the same time a bit too special, almost ceremonial. Thus, she sat up straight and waited. Her patience and observations were rewards soon enough.

"Alright, I think we can actually start the meal" Darius hummed with a firm nod of approval to Artemis. The housewife, however, raised a hand and turned her face towards the younglings.

"Did you wash your hands?" Artemis asked her children, all of who nodded eagerly.

She raised a challenging eyebrow at her brood, particularly her sons who sat opposite Ginny and next to Selenius. The two young boys raised their hands, exposing their palms. The matron nodded in approval and rose to her feet, her mirth replaced by solemnness. Ginny frowned, utterly lost, as everyone stared at the woman with rapt attention and with the utmost respect. Even the children seemed to understand the relevance of what would follow next. Thus, she followed suit, curious about this strange meal.

Much to Ginny's surprise, what followed was a blessing of sorts.

"Gods of old and magic ever so bold, we are gathered here as a whole to dine under thy blissful hold" Artemis started. Ginny blinked, taken aback by the chant. "Tonight, we shall ward off the ever encumbering darkness and be reminded of that which we hold dearest". The woman paused, lowering her gaze with an odd touching sadness. "It is in tumultuous times like this that we must stand together, if only to be reminded that in the darkest of nights it's when the stars shine the brightest".

Selenius nudged Ginny, quickly gesturing for her to pick her empty drinking glass. It was in the nick of time, when all glasses were lifted in practice unison. The boys had tinier glasses than their sisters', which in turn where smaller than the glasses of their parents.

"Byddwn yn ymladd dros ein teulu" the Greengrass proclaimed.

While it was a simply chorused sentence, Ginny felt something change in the air, a foreboding feeling that washed over her. It was undescribable... yet at the same time, it was obviously magic. What kind? She had absolutely no idea but it was definately far from dark.

To say Ginny was a bit bewildered by the whole ceremony was an understatement. The fact she heard them speak such strange tongue was all more flummoxing. However, she had little room to ponder on everything as her glass was magically filled by a blubbly amber liquid. Seeing as all the Greengrass were about to take a sip of their drinks, Ginny followed their example.

The taste of the beverage was not what she had expected. For starters, it was rough on the throat and fiery in her mouth. To her surprise, she immediatelly found a love for the liquid. She must have looked inquisitively at her glass a bit too much for Selenius seemed to have understood what she was wondering about.

"Home-made beer" Selenius whispered.

"Like butterbeer?" Ginny murmured to the man.

"It's a bit stronger" Selenius chuckled with an amused smirk.

From the corner of her eyes, Ginny noticed that no one had started serving themselves. Once again, she found herself befuddled by the proceedings. Was this some sort of tradition? However, her questions were answered as Darius grabbed a platter and started filling each plate and handing it over. Ginny was quick to notice that there was an order for this: the young boys were first, followed by the youngest daughter and then the oldest one. Soon, Ginny had a plate filled with all sorts of food, followed by Artemis. Selenius was close to last, with Darius finishing serving himself.

"So, I suppose it's time for the proper introductions" Artemis announced once they all started eating. "Selenius, these are Darius and Romulus" she said, gesturing to the two boys. "The young ever-smiling Princess is Astoria, and the Ice Queen by your side, Ginevra, is Daphne. Children, these are your Uncle Selenius and his apprentice, Ginevra Greengrass".

Ginny was rather surprised that her announcement was met with silence. Admittedly, they all looked like they were dying to ask their questions to death, but by the way they were glancing at their parents, they at least had the manners to rein in their curiousity. At last, Darius nodded at Daphne, who frowned ever so slightly at Ginny.

"Ginevra Weasley... you are... but it can't be..." she whispered. "You are the brother of Ronald Weasley? Of the Weasley Twins? That Ginevra?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow. While her tone was questioning, her gesture, and something embedded in her voice, came off as suspicious and accusatory.

"Yes" Ginny politely nodded.

"You look... different" Daphne stated, only to add with certain hesitation "and livelier than rumoured..."

"Everyone thought the Death Eaters kidnapped you and did all sorts of things!" Astoria immediatelly chimed.

"Astoria!" Artemis admonished.

Darius seemed to have problems eating with the way he suddenly started forcibly biting his food. He squinted at Selenius, who sent a placating look at his brother.

"It was I who kidnapped Ginny, actually" Selenius told Daphne. "And it was to protect her from the Death Eaters".

"How did you do it?" Daphne politely asked, mystified. She suddenly gave a rather unladylike snort "Not that I am that surprised. With the way Hogwarts has been broken into, it's hard to believe it even has any sort of wards or protections".

"The problem is that Hogwarts is a tad too ancient" Selenius explained. "Thus, a lot of the actual warding schemes have been lost with the generations, and certain modifications have gone unregistered. Moreover, many secrets have been created with the passage of time, secrets that can be exploited. However, you shouldn't underestimate Hogwarts' wards. They are some of the most powerful I've ever seen".

"Oh really? What can they do?" Astoria immediatelly jumped it.

"Well... from my understanding of the actual schemes, the wards of Hogwarts would seem to offer a lot of..." Selenius slowly replied, before he paused to clear his throat "...of luck".

"Luck?" The two young boys asked in unison.

"Yes, Hogwarts protects its students by actually favouring them in small, different ways... all of which make it look like a good lot of luck or coincidences" Selenius sighed. "I know, it's hard to understand. As a matter of fact, I can't say I fully understand Hogwarts' wards in their totality. Not even Dumbledore could claim such a feat, I presume. As I said, it's believed most of its schemes have been lost through the passage of time.

"In any case, a student who might have tripped in the moving stairs and fallen to her or his death would have found himself luckily regaining her footing, for example. It's because of those wards that deaths rarely ever happen within Hogwarts' premises" concluded Selenius. "Take an ill-pronounced spell. Instead of unfortunate consquences doing Gods-know-what, the wards make it so that the damage caused is minimal, or nonexistant by something that would look like mere luck to the uninformed witness".

Ginny paused in her chewing for a moment to take those words in. She was suddenly reminded to her first year in Hogwarts when she had been forced to release a Basilisk onto the other students. No one had been able to explain just how lucky they had all been that no one had died. The fact everyone simply got the means to look at the Basilisk eyes through something was more than just fortunate, without adding the right circumstances for the Basilisk to actually bite someone off their feet, considering how large it was.

"And I am very thankful about that" Artemis nodded, sighing with relief. "With something as volatile as magic, it's always good to know your children are in a safe environment. Gods know what manner of accidents could happen to untrained students outside such wards".

Ginny blinked at Artemis, taken aback. Was that the reason why they were always forbidden to use magic outside of Hogwarts? Because the wards of the school made it so that accidents were rare and, when they happened, they were never lethal or extremely damaging? It now suddenly made a lot more sense, a bit too much in fact. The question now, though, was: why weren't they told such things beforehand?

Ginny shuddered thinking what Seamus Finnigan might have been like outside Hogwarts. If he had caused explosions in his first years, it would be terrifying to know what manner of things could errupt without luck on his side.

"So that's why Hogwarts is called the safest place in Britain" Astoria suddenly realized.

"Exactly" Selenius nodded. "Then again, luck can take you so far… as far as I know, if used properly, the Hogwarts wards should be able to identify and pinpoint anyone walking inside its premises. In theory, someone could easily track pretty much anyone anywhere if she or he taps into the wards".

"Have you done that?" Daphne asked, rather amazed. "Tap into the wards to track people, I mean".

"Ha, I wish" snorted the Pyromancer.

"Please, you were far busier on your little projects" Darius butted in with a scoff, only to add to Daphne "Your Uncle preferred tinkering with muggle artefacts than to actually bother with warding schemes".

"That and running around the school doing Gods-know-what" Artemis giggled, fondly remembering their Hogwarts days.

Ginny, who had her own questions, turned to Artemis. "Ehm… Mrs Greengrass, what exactly is this food?" She politely inquired, only to add in a hurry "it's delicious".

"I'm glad you like it – and please, do call me Artemis. These are actually old Greengrass family recipes" laughed the Matriarch. "They are mostly Welsh cuisine, like rarebit and Glamorgan sausages".

"Our family comes from the green fields of Wales where Bran Greengrass, the first of his name, started writing our family grimoire" Darius retold, his chest swelling with pride.

Ginny looked back at the table, impressed with the food. It felt strange to actually enjoy such a traditional meal. It almost made her somewhat jealous to know that her family didn't have anything like this, something to call their own and to hold it as a precious gift from their ancestors. A part of her thought of it as foolish, but the rest of her wished she had such family traditions.

"Where were you all this time?" One of the boys suddenly asked to Selenius.

There was a pregnant silence in which the adults traded uncomfortable looks. Selenius pondered on what to say for a bit before he answered the child. Ginny shifted in her seat, curious and troubled by the question.

"I was on the run, being hunted by the authorities" Selenius retold with a scowl. "After the Dark Lord's fall dark wizards like me were… well… not appreciated -"

"You are a dark wizard?" Astoria interrupted, sounding thrilled.

"A Pyromancer, actually" Selenius answered.

"Really?" Daphne gasped, awed.

"That's brilliant!" Astoria grinned, ecstatic.

"Oh no, you are NOT going to learn Pyromancy, not while you live under this roof" Artemis interceded, glaring her daughters down. To Selenius, she added "and don't you dare teach such dangerous arts to my children, am I clear?"

Selenius, looking rather intimidated by the mother, nodded repeatedly.

"What exactly does it entail?" Daphne politely inquired "Pyromancy, I mean".

"Daphne…" Artemis warned.

"No, dear, I think they should know" Darius Senior said, much to his wife's surprise. "I can't say I'm not curious myself".

Selenius and Ginny traded faces. This was their field, their strength. The redhead offered an encouraging smile to her teacher, who appeared to need all the moral support he could. He took a deep breath and, after silently asking for permission to Artemis and Darius (who nodded with approval), he began his explanation.

"As you know, magic in itself is an energy that can be given many forms. With a wand, we mages are capable of controlling and manifesting magic in any desired shape or power. It can be a Force, meant to lift or pull something, or maybe even an actual object. Magic can also be a metamorphosing energy can be used to actually exert control over matter or other energies.

"Pyromancy, like some other similar branches of magic, is based on the principle of actually manifesting your magic into a physical form. In this case: fire. This doesn't mean you use magic to create fire, but actually making your magic into fire, for magic to burn and wave as flames rather than some ethereal power within" Selenius passionately explained.

"That doesn't sound useful" Daphne commented.

"On the contrary, it's pretty useful if properly understood. If your magic can actually burn something in its raw form, you can create a connection to the ashes or even the smoke, or actually imbue objects with your very essence. My powers don't revolve only around fire. I can create and control beings from ashes, manipulate smoke and even manifest my own powers on objects forged from the fires of my magic, mostly from metallurgy" responded the Pyromancer.

"Where did you learn all of that?" Darius wondered. "I know you had already started before you graduated but…"

"Oh, Professor Slughorn actually got me into Pyromancy" Selenius answered. "He saw my potential as a great tinkerer so he believed I would greatly benefit from such magical art".

"Professor Slughorn taught you Pyromancy?" Ginny and Daphne gasped at the same time.

"Of course not" scoffed the man. "He merely… well…" he trailed off, a bit uncomfortable "he had a few contacts that had certain interesting books. The, well, you know, the sort of tomes that would be burned by the Ministry on sight and… and I – well – I just… had the benefit of getting my hands on a few of them".

"Horace was in the Grimoire Black Market?" Darius queried, intrigued. "We all knew he was lenient in regards to the Dark Arts, but I never suspected he actually encouraged students down such paths".

"It's not like he wanted me to be an active Pyromancer and explore that branch of magic itself. He merely wished to encourage a productive side of me, like Metallurgy. He wanted to encourage my affinity to tinker. He wanted to push me into creating artefacts and the kind" Selenius sighed. "Slughorn was of the thought that nothing good could ever come from discouraging mages' education. To him, magic was meant to be explored to its fullest, not restricted to the whims of bureaucrats or close-minded idiots".

Admittedly, that was mostly a philosophy shared by the members of the House of Slytherin back at Hogwarts.

"A sentiment I'm sure you don't share, do you Weasley?" Daphne hummed with a faint smirk as she delicately chewed on her meal.

"For your information, I do agree with Professor Slughorn's sentiments. As a matter of fact, I'm currently learning Pyromancy from Selenius" Ginny retorted.

Daphne frowned at Ginny, turning to Selenius for answers. Darius and Artemis, on the other hand, looked worried. Astoria and the boys… well… they looked jealous.

"Is that a good idea?" Artemis wondered. "When you said you were his apprentice, I didn't think he was actually teaching you that" she asked Ginny.

"Pyromancy isn't that dangerous, as long as it is taken serious – and there is someone to supervise her training, of course. Given how you change your magic, there might be a few modifications here and there, but nothing too serious" Selenius replied. "Since Ginny can't use her wand without drawing in the entire Ministry, I deemed it a good idea so she could defend herself".

"Uncle, she's a Weasley" Daphne bluntly stated, a hint of ire tinting her voice. "Her family has been under Dumbledore's treacherous thumb for generations. She'll betray us as soon as she gets the chance".

Ginny held back a gasp, looking as if she had been slapped. Selenius' jaw tightened, his gaze hardening at his niece.

"She has a point" Darius senior reluctantly grumbled. "Her family has been little more than blood-traitors and bureaucrats for some time now. They have long given up on their family traditions and incorporated filthy muggle ones, all in the name of inclusivity".

Artemis didn't say anything herself, but by the looks of it she seemed to either agree with her husband, or didn't actually have an opposite opinion to share. Ginny, though, felt utterly ashamed. Oddly enough, it was not at the jabs being thrown at her family and lineage, but rather the fact that in part she actually agreed with them. It was strangely surprising, if not disturbing.

Here she was, feasting with a family of (probably) blood supremacist who had a Pyromancer in their fold. A part of her, perhaps a very dark side of her, really wanted to fit in. She wanted to be included and respected by Selenius' family. Since when did she want to dine with a family of stuck-up purebloods? Probably since she had fallen under Selenius alluring charm and personality.

"So what do you suggest I do?" Hummed the Pyromancer. "Should I hand her over to the Death Eaters? For her to be killed or worse? Or maybe I should shove her at one of the Dark Lord's 're-learning' camps to brainwash her to our cause".

Silence. No one uttered a word. Rather, Darius exchanged uncomfortable glances with his wife while Daphne glumly grimaced. Astoria and the two boys probably didn't follow the conversation, but even they could perceive the moroseness of the topic at hand.

"I agree" Selenius firmly nodded at Darius. "Ginny could very well betray me as soon as she gets a chance, but that's a risk I'm willing to take. For far too long we – the families who understand the values of tradition - have been silent, or worse we have spoken too vehemently and derisively". He leaned back, sternly staring down at his eldest niece.

"We've been blind, stubbornly sticking with ourselves without ever attempting to even try to start the conversation. We haven't exactly reached out to our compatriots, to those we've called Blood-traitors. And do you know how we have come off?" He challengingly kept his eyes on Daphne, who looked down at her lap in shame. "As bigots, as stone-age primitive backward bigots. We have been doing Dumbledore's job by acting the part of the evil mages, the close-minded blood supremacists, all the while being none the wiser.

"Instead of debating, of bringing facts into the discussion, we have alienated dozens of families. We have antagonized them into being Blood-Traitors. Do you know who's to blame for the Weasley's disinterest in the Old Ways? We are. It was us who labelled them blood-traitors, who come off as wanting to kill or maim any muggle-born that crosses our path and who have done little to endear anyone to our cause. Why in the world wouldn't they betray us if we have only faced them with derision and contempt, all the while playing the part of the ignoramus and violent?

"There is a wide rift in our society, a wedge that keeps growing and growing" Selenius shook his head with sorrow. "Thus, I think it's time one side finally offered a hand of friendship, kinship and trust. If we are on the right, then we have nothing to fear and lose. If we are wrong, then we have everything to gain. Ginny might be a Weasley, but she is also my apprentice now, and as such I will trust her and welcome her to our fold as my own family".

Ginny was rather moved by the speech, if not deeply touched. She blushed as Selenius offered a kind smile at her, her heart fluttering in her chest. How in the world was she meant to resist such charm? By this point, she wasn't even trying.

"I agree" Artemis immediately said, sitting proudly and smiling warmly at Ginny. She turned to her husband, brightly grinning at her husband. "Isn't that the most honourable path to tread?"

"Maybe" Darius grunted before he sighed in defeat. "Let's talk about something else, shall we?" He leaned forward, looming over his half-full plate. "Selenius, where have you been all this time?"

Selenius grimaced at his brother. "In the muggle world" he scornfully scoffed.

"Really?" Astoria's eyes brightened as she excitedly beamed at her newfound Uncle. "What was it like? I've heard it's a very smelly place, but rather interesting too."

Ginny looked at Selenius just as curious as Astoria. Matter of fact was that, as much as her family supported muggles and muggle-borns, their interactions with muggles were relatively minor. At most, they had to talk with the villagers of a nearby town, but that happened rather rarely. In fact, the Weasley siblings, all seven of them, pretty much preferred keeping away from muggles if only to be able to have fun with magical toys and so forth. If she wasn't mistaken, even her parents were rather reluctant on letting their children near muggles, perhaps out of some deeply ingrained bias or fear. Thus, Ginny was not exactly knowledgeable about muggles, and she had never actually cared that much… but this was Selenius talking, after all.

"Yes, really" muttered the Pyromancer. "Honestly, muggle society is rather fascinating. They have been able to pretty much employ their cunning and intelligence to bend the world around them to their will. There's a lot of brute force involved, but their ingenuity is definitely remarkable. Unfortunately, their relative success has long started to affect their society. It has come to a point that technology has driven them to absolute madness and degeneracy" Selenius explained.

"Dear gods" Artemis whispered. "What did you do amidst the muggles?"

"I actually got a job at a restaurant as a waiter in Paris" Selenius chuckled.

Ginny, like the rest of the gathered mages, were dumbstruck by the revelation. It was hard not to given the air and persona Selenius had built around himself.

"I needed the money to live among the muggles and, at the time, I was rather lost. I had been chased out of England, the French authorities had an eye open for me and, given the circumstances, all I could do was hang around muggles. I was rather disoriented for some time" Selenius confessed.

"Who can blame you" Daphne compassionately murmured.

"An year or so later, when I had finally gotten back on my feet and the French aurors were no longer vigilant, I slowly started returning to the magical community… mostly the dark parts of it, I'm afraid" Selenius ruefully grunted.

"Thankfully, I was able to make friends with like-minded people and, before I knew it, I was travelling all across muggle Europe. It was almost three years after my exile that I found a Master Pyromancer willing to teach me, an old Polish woman who called herself Cor'Ignis" Selenius fondly smiled as he retold his misadventures, looking rather reminiscent. "She was very reluctant to teach me, at first. However, I was able to talk my way around her soon enough."

"Don't you always" Darius muttered. Selenius cheekily grinned at his older brother.

"You talked your way around her?" Astoria, confused, wondered.

"Let's just say my brother has long developed the means to talk his way out of trouble" Darius snorted. "What he can't achieve through Transfiguration and Charms, he can get through his cunning and silver tongue".

"I might have offered a handful of gifts in goodwill and to prove I didn't want to burn half of Siberia" Selenius humorously added. He showed a closed fist, starting to count his fingers as he spoke "it was a golden ring that could shine in the dark, a monocle that could zoom in a bit and a candle… which when lit would blow into a cloud of smoke, perfect for emergencies – it was the best I could create with what little I had learned and with what I had available".

"Where is she now?" Artemis inquired.

"Cor'Ignis?" Selenius wondered. He received an affirmative nod. Ginny saw how a grim shadow fell over the man's face as dark memories surfaced in his mind. "She is hiding… somewhere unknown. When the Dark Lord returned…" he pinched the bridge of his nose, looking both angry and sad. Ginny, sympathetic, took hold of his hand, much to his comfort. "When he returned, I decided to end my Exile and… and I urged her to hide. The last thing I wanted was for the Dark Lord to get his hands on her".

To say the mood on the table was sombre would have been a great understatement. The children awkwardly exchanged uncomfortable faces while Ginny sympathetically looked at Selenius. The man in question held a stern face, riddled with apathy and bitter anger. Ginny, biting her lower lip, took hold of his hand and comfortingly squeezed it. Selenius morosely looked at her, only for his face to soften. The small gesture wasn't missed by either Artemis or Darius, who traded baffled glances.

"I hope she's safe" Selenius wearily sighed.

"Thankfully you are back at home" Artemis cheerily declared. She raised a glass, which magically refilled itself. "I propose a toast" she added.

The family exchanged awkward faces, but followed suit. They all raised their glasses, magically refilling as they did. Ginny was quick to raise her own as everyone followed suit.

"For family" Artemis proclaimed.

"For family" everyone chorused as they toasted, grins spreading across their faces.

The meal was much more entertaining than Ginny had first expected. Admittedly, she had been truly nervous that she would be rejected or perhaps held with vigilant suspicion. However, it seemed even Daphne, who seemed to favour a cold demeanour, warmed up to her. Astoria was a given, as were the boys. It was Darius who proved to surprise everyone with friendly banter.

Stories were shared about the kids, in regards to Daphne's early boisterous years (much to her embarrassment) as well as Astoria's first magical mishaps. Darius retold the tale of when Selenius first saw a muggle car and all the high jinks that ensued, from Selenius getting stuck in one of the cars to the brothers blowing said vehicle. Much to Ginny's own surprise, she laughed as it was left unsaid whether the siblings did so out of spite or it was a simple mishap. Given what she knew about Selenius, it could have well been either.

It was as Ginny enjoying the dessert that she noticed Selenius suddenly sitting up straight, eyes wide. He didn't look surprised nor startled. Rather, he appeared as if he was hearing a distant call. Ginny knew right away what was going on. Her good mood vanished, replaced with concern. She wasn't the only one.

"Is everything alright?" Artemis asked Selenius as everyone sobered up and looked at the man in question.

"Something has come up" Selenius sighed as he slowly stood up.

Ginny looked at him, unsure. What exactly was she supposed to do as he went off to a hunt?

"Is it something urgent?" Darius cautiously asked. He shuffled on his seat, uncomfortable.

"What's wrong? What do you have to do?" Astoria asked. Daphne was just inquisitive with her gaze, remaining awfully quiet.

"One of my dark hands… they've found…" Selenius glanced at Ginny "something". He hurriedly added "I should be back soon".

"What should I do?" Ginny wondered, blinking at the man.

"You can stay here" Artemis interceded with a warm smile. "We can prepare the guest room if need be".

"I think that would be best" Selenius agreed. "Don't worry, I doubt it's anything" he reassuringly told Ginny.

The redhead, though, was not convinced. Rather, deep down, she felt something unsettling her in her gut. There was an ominous feeling that made her stomach churn. Her eyes followed Selenius as he left until his imposing frame vanished behind the dining room entrance, accompanied by Artemis. Regardless what he said, Ginny knew there could be a great risk he could return like he had long before, shaking under the prolonged torture of Death Eaters.

"Where is he going?" Daphne inquired, facing Ginny.

"Hunting" Ginny stiffly replied. "What is he hunting? I don't know" she admitted.

"Maybe it's a who and not a what" Astoria suggested.

"Girls" Darius chidingly chimed in. "Let's not discuss such matters tonight, shall we?"

* * *

Selenius looked around, perplexed, only to figure out where he had apparated to. It was Godric's Hollow. This had been one of the first places Selenius had kept an active eye on, having some of his dark hands prowl around during the nights. Godric's Hollow was, after all, the place where the Dark Lord was first defeated, but more importantly Dumbledore's childhood village as well as the Potter's resting place. While definitely not a priority, Selenius had seen the merit of making sure to know if his target ever visited the little village to get a glimpse of his parents' house, where the Dark Lord fell or merely to pay his respect to his parents. It seemed his foresight had paid off.

Thing was, the Dark Hand which had summoned Selenius was facing a house, a cottage to be exact. Selenius didn't need to be a genius to know it was probably warded. However, by the looks of it, Potter was in there. The Dark Hunter's heart skipped a beat with excitement. This was it, the chance to finally catch the brat, to finally prove himself. Still, he was far from victorious.

The advantage of breaching into the Fidelius was that you can count for the inhabitants to be taken by surprise. True, breaking into the Fidelius had always been considered impossible, so extra wards had been deemed pointless. That and it was likely magic saturation in the air messed up any ward you could erect inside a Fidelius. As it was, Selenius was facing a magical household, meaning he had to expect a myriad of wards around its perimeter. Problem was, Selenius had no idea to be sure of that, or to even assess what wards there were – not unless he risked getting detected by the one controlling the wards.

The cottage could have a simple detection framework which allowed the Keeper of the house, generally the owner, to feel whoever breached the perimeter. There could be also traps installed connected to the magic surrounding the house. Gnomes, statues and plants could have been spelled to come to life and stall anyone breaking in, giving enough time for the owner to prepare, either to fight or run away. Some wards were also keyed against Dark Hands, meaning that Selenius wouldn't be able to send his minions over to attack Potter. Whichever it was, odds were that many a ward had been erected. With the Dark Lord and his minions rising to power, people were bound to become far more paranoid and protective.

There was another complicating detail: there were visible lights coming from the house. Thus, it was safe to assume that the people within were awake. They could always walk too near a window and catch a glimpse of him. He had to be careful.

"How am I supposed to get in?" Selenius wondered. He turned to the Ashen Wolf patiently sitting next to him. "Any ideas?" He jokingly asked his minion. The Dark Hand looked at him without an answer with two burning red eyes.

Suddenly, an idea popped into Selenius' mind. He smirked sadistically at the cottage.

"I'll have to smoke them out" he chuckled. The man glanced at the nearby trees. "And all I'll need are flammable branches…"

* * *

 **Author notes: so I'm back. The next chapter might take some time to write, I'm afraid. Reviews are always welcomed (and could very well encourage me to write faster ;) )**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hello dear readers! I'm back with a new chapter.**

 **PLEASE READ: I MADE AN ERROR.**

 **In the end of the first act, Harry and Hermione met with an old lady. It was not Madam Marchbanks. It was meant to be Bathilda Bagshot. Sadly, I got them mixed up. Bathilda is Gellert Grindelwald's great aunt and a historian. She was also part of Harry's first birthday celebration.**

* * *

 **Chapter II: So close, yet so far**

Harry and Hermione had long forgotten what it felt like to be seated in a dining room, enjoying a warm, fresh homey meal. It was reminiscent to the Burrow – if not less lively and much more peaceful – and quiet. Bathilda Bagshot had outdone herself with a roasted Turkey with boiled potatoes, covered in fine seasoning. When they bothered to think about it, they felt like they were enjoying the family setting of the Weasleys sans the redheads.

It was thus not surprising that both Harry and Hermione would find themselves looking around, almost out in instinct, in search of something – or rather someone. They would causally turned to a side, smiling, only to find no one there. They would remember that their friend Ron was long gone, that he had left them, and – with a sobered expression – returned their attention to Ms Bagshot.

The Boy-Who-Lived couldn't deny that his heart tugged painfully at the sight of a happy Bathilda Bagshot. She seemed particularly cheerful about having company, and he didn't like to think what her night would have been like hadn't they showed up. Had she intended to spend such fine dinner on her own? The mere thought of the old lady, sitting alone, with only the company of frosty winds knocking on her door, made Harry rather grim.

Hermione enjoyed herself. Even before they sat down, when they helped laying the table, the three traded stories and enjoyed of the long forgotten laughter. Bathilda Bagshot went on and on about her life, with Hermione being overly fond about her tales on history and transfiguration. Once they were seated, and dinner began, the mood changed a bit, especially when they touched a part of her history Harry was most curious about.

With the old lady at the head of a small rectangular table, the turkey at the centre and the two young mages opposite each other, it was time to finally begin the topic of most interest. As happy and merry they all were, darkness reigned outside – and some of it, seeped inside.

"How did you know Dumbledore, Ms Bagshot?" He asked. He quickly amended with "if you don't mind my asking, that is".

"Oh dear, please, call me Bathilda" chuckled the old lady. "Oh it's no matter, dear. As for dear old Dumbledore – why, my boy, he used to be my neighbour. Knew him since he was a boy and, might I say, when he became a man". A sad smile marred her face, saddened.

For a long moment, filled with silence, the woman looked up at her kitchen's doorway with a wistful glint in her eyes. She reminded Harry of his friend Luna Lovegood, known for her errant staring and dazzled expression. It was at moments like those when he wondered if, perhaps, Ms Bagshot wasn't senile – or close to senility. If what she had said was true, when that made her rather older than Dumbledore himself, which in of itself is quite the accomplishment.

"What was he like a child?" Hermione said. Ms Bagshot blinked out of her reverie and turned to her like she had been woke up from a sad dream. "Professor Dumbledore, I mean. What was he like?"

"He was quite the ill-tempered ruffian" scoffed Ms Bagshot. She smiled with visible fondness nonetheless. "Impatient, ambitious and overly egotistical, I never liked poor dear Albus, not until he got a few decades on him – and even then…" she trailed off, chortling for a few seconds, only to resume "… it took longer for me to grow fond of the lad".

Harry stared at the old woman, utterly disbelieving. What? Dumbledore – of all people – had been like that? No, it couldn't be. Although, maybe he had been long ago and, with age, came an abundance of new positive traits. Still, it felt wrong to imagine a young Dumbledore as such a person. It was far more damning, however, to actually meet someone so kind to say she had never liked Dumbledore. Was that even possible without being a dark wizard?

"He had such dreams of grandeur" Ms Bagshot scoffed. "He truly believed he would one day become the greatest wizard of all times, the greatest of the greatest…"

She frowned for a moment, lost once again in her memories. For an instant, Harry could have sworn she looked lost. Thankfully, she recovered rather quickly. It did worry the young man, though.

"He did become the greatest wizard of his time" Hermione boasted.

"It is easy to call a man tall when he stands over dwarves, dear" Ms Bagshot sighed, shaking her head. "However, I will concede he did grow up from his old self. A pity he needed so much time and so many harsh experiences for him to finally grow up… but even then, poor Albus has never-"

"Wait, what do you mean by that? By the 'tall when he stands over dwarves'?" Harry interrupted. He sure didn't know whether to feel insulted and angry, or just plainly baffled.

"Oh, right" Ms Bagshot turned to Harry, her eyes glazed once again. She remained like that, staring at him, only to return to the real world. "Yes, Albus, while he might be quite the wizard alone, the state of the magical world hasn't exactly… improved, now has it dear? In fact, it has been well known that our world isn't just aging; it's dying".

"Dying?" Harry asked in disbelief. Hermione seemed she had intended to ask the same thing.

"Yes, dying" nodded Ms Bagshot. "Haven't you ever noticed that most of our people are tied to the Ministry? That the Ministry seems to control everyone and everything? Haven't you ever wondered why everything feels like it had never progressed?"

No, Harry had never actually stopped for a moment to bother. In fact, if he had to be honest with himself, he had always been oblivious to pretty much everything. The Magical world had always been fantastic to him. That and he had never really wanted to scrutinize the world he loved so deeply. Even with Voldemort, Harry would never trade his world for the muggle one.

"Yes" Hermione admitted. "It all feels like it is – ehm – stagnant".

Harry snapped his head at her, surprised. He hadn't suspected Hermione would have such opinion.

"Well, you can blame Albus and the Ministry for that, dear" Ms Bagshot stated, only to pause "although my Grand-nephew Gellert is more to blame than anyone". She hummed, losing herself in the maze of her mind.

"Gellert?" Harry wondered. Why did that name strike him as familiar?

"You can't possibly mean… Gellert Grindelwald" Hermione gasped.

"Oh, yes, him" Ms Bagshot rolled his eyes, rather amused. "The Greatest Dark Lord of this Century himself… he actually used to be good friends with Albus, until they had a fight of sorts. Never knew what happened, but I think it involved a terrible duel".

Harry frowned at the mention of "Greatest Dark Lord of the Century". Was he stronger than Voldemort? Not that he had actually witnessed Voldemort doing anything incredible for the title yet, but he doubted the same person who got people to be afraid of even uttering his name was second-best.

"Of course they had a fight" Hermione haughtily sniffed. "Professor Dumbledore would never agree with what Gellert Grindelwald wanted".

Harry looked at the table, confused. The name Gellert Grindelwald was truly familiar yet at the same time he couldn't recall who that man was. Yes, he knew it was someone of relevance but couldn't really tell how. Was he perhaps the Dark Lord Dumbledore defeated that made him famous or something?

"I wouldn't be so sure. The youth has a proclivity to stupidity and recklessness. When you have your entire life ahead of you, you don't tend to think matters through" Ms Bagshot sagely rebutted. "Albus was like any other mortal".

"But to want to dominate the muggles? To rule over them? Professor Dumbledore would have never wanted that" Hermione proclaimed. Harry nodded, fully agreeing with his friend.

"We might never know" Ms Bagshot conceded. "In any case, after Albus and Gellert had their duel, our World would never be the same".

She ominously stared at Harry as she said that, something that for reasons that eluded Harry made him gulp apprehensively.

"The rise of such devastating Dark Lord brought about such fear, such worry in the hearts of people… that the stupid flock that were ordinary mages decided to give away their rights, their freedoms and their knowledge for a false sense of security. The Dark Age of Magic-Kind had begun" Ms Bagshot sourly exclaimed. She angrily leaned forward "and at the head of it all, was Albus".

"W-what are you talking about?" A flabbergasted Hermione asked.

"You see, in the hearts and minds of the people – the stupid gullible emotional mob – there was one way to avoid the rise of another Dark Lord" Bagshot explained "all Dark knowledge had to be purged. As always, the people – in their complacency – never bothered to understand history, and in their idiocy were always doomed to repeat it".

Harry raised an eyebrow. That wasn't exactly a bad argument. If there were no Dark Art books, how can there be Dark Lords? Apparently, his female friend agreed.

"Actually, it makes sense" Hermione shrugged. "Without the knowledge available, it is unlikely Dark Lords could attain their power – at least not enough to defeat the Ministry".

It was rather odd to hear Hermione of all people calmly talking about purging knowledge.

"And that's why our world is doomed" scoffed the old woman. "You morons, and HOW do you intend on even purging so-called Dark knowledge? How do you set apart that which is Light and that which is Dark? Who is righteous enough to implement such policies without bias?"

Harry and Hermione leaned back, shocked, at the venom dripping on the old witch's tone. She seemed mad, insane with lively fury. Her eyes burned with a raging fire that scared them both. Had she gone senile or what?

"You really are the pupils of Albus, stupid and damning to a fault" spat Ms Bagshot. "No, you idiots, burning entire generations' worth of magic will not stop evil people from doing evil. On the contrary, all you achieve is empowering those who are able to keep a hold on the Dark Arts and feeding incompetent power-hungry governments who will move on to take your other rights in a bid of control! Do you even learn your bloody history?!"

If Ms Bagshot had been angry before, she was now beyond livid. Hell, it was surprising seeing such old fragile woman emanating such roaring aura of abhorrence and fury. Thankfully, the effort tired the old witch. Ms Bagshot sat down, sighing her anger away, and leaving only strained tiredness on her wrinkled face. She caressed her face, as if scowling so much had cramped her muscles.

"In the end, we got what we deserved" Ms Bagshot sorrowfully whispered, staring at the ceiling. "The Ministry grew, expanding its power and influence, and chocking all creativity, all desire to create and all ambition under regulations and restrictions. They have been had the gall of taking away grimoires of families".

Harry hadn't the faintest clue what a Grimoire even was. Hermione, on the other hand, seemed to be angry at their mention. That suggested that, as always, Hermione knew what that was.

"It is unfair families can build their own grimoires and keep their secrets hidden" Hermione scoffed. "What about Muggle-borns? Shouldn't knowledge be shared?"

"Should it?" Ms Bagshot contested. "If you told me that everything I ever learned would be taken away for the benefit of others, then trust me when I tell you I rather burn it all down – or sell it to the highest bidder – than let those filthy bureaucrats get even a sniff of my books. By taking away their choice and their right, you have pretty much incentivized people to do other things than explore magic. By trying to cuddle our people, we no longer take risks… and without risks, there are no gains".

Hermione, though, was not convinced. She folded her arms, indignantly glared at Ms Bagshot, and sniffed as haughtily as she did with Ron in their arguments.

"You-Know-Who was not popular just because he promised to get rid of the muggle-born degenerate influence in our world. Many old families, the most ambitious people and those who have found themselves on the wrong side of the bureaucrats, they all had a bone to pick with the Ministry. So when a powerful warlock with old forgotten magic promised them to liberate them all from the chains of bureaucracy many joined him without a second thought. And for a time, he was loved and respected" Ms Bagshot confessed.

"What? People liked You-Know-Who?" Harry asked.

Truly, this woman had lost her marbles ages ago. Yet, it was perhaps with some kind of morbid fascination, or maybe the turkey yet to be finished, that they kept their discussion going.

"Oh yes. When he first appeared, when the first whispers of the Knights of Walpurgis echoed across the towns, people secretly cheered. At last, someone who dared bring down the Ministry. It did not help that the Ministry's first reaction was to start a witch-hunt and double down on their actions" Ms Bagshot retold. "After the Grimoire burnings of 1971, many joined the Knights of Walpurgis, seeing the Ministry for the evil it was…" here she bowed her head, saddened "…and yet, in their rush to undo the evils of the Ministry, they fell prey to a much darker evil: You-Know-Who.

"It was too late by then" Ms Bagshot sighed. "Those who had joined early and discovered the madness of You-Know-Who and his most inner circle, had fallen in their trap. They couldn't leave in fear of You-Know-Who, but also the Ministry's retribution. Many so-called supporters were blackmailed into keeping their aid to the Dark Lord's cause".

"Really? That's rather cowardly" Hermione remarked. "To keep aiding a tyrant for fear of facing the law?"

"When the law made it so that you would end up in Azkaban for having supported You-Know-Who, perhaps by just giving some money in a cause you were lied about, I think most people thought preferable the silence" Ms Bagshot grunted. "That's when the Knights of Walpurgis came out as the Death Eaters, their true name and dare I say their true identity".

Harry grimly pondered on that. It suddenly made history a lot more complex – and at the same time clearer. It hadn't just been plain bigotry as he had been led to believe. People made mistakes, some had their grudges, and they had all been used by Voldemort to support him. The Dark Lord had played with the heartstrings of many, and did so expertly. This was, surprisingly, the first time Harry heard about the Dark Lord ever doing something manipulative and cunning for once. Thus far, all Harry had seen was a blatant brute of a Wizard using raw power to get what he wanted.

"After the Fall – _his_ Fall – instead of learning from their mistakes, people doubled-down in their stupidity. It doesn't help muggle-borns are so gullible themselves" Ms Bagshot chuckled. Hermione glared at the old woman and was about to retort, only for said old witch to carry on. "The only exception I've met was your mother".

Harry blinked at the dreamy gaze of the aged historian set on him. His mother? Hermione's anger vanished away, replaced by confusion. She wasn't the only one.

"My mother?" Harry blurted out, dumbfounded.

"Oh Lily, she was so much like you, dear" Ms Bagshot laughed, turning to Hermione. "She was so self-righteous…" the old witch rolled her eyes "…but she grew out of it. Even though James would have never allowed it, Lily sought out to expand her knowledge, to learn new powers the Ministry had forbidden…" she wickedly smiled at no one in particular, almost with creepy pride.

Harry frowned, answer what the old woman was alluding to. However, he quickly caught on. His confused morphed into outraged as realization dawned on him.

"She didn't" Harry exclaimed. "My mother would have never learned the Dark Arts!"

"Oh, but she did. I even helped her acquiring old tomes and meeting old contacts that could assist her. I don't remember her ever making that much progress… but she must have succeeded in her quest" Ms Bagshot reasoned. "After all, how do you explain your miraculous survival?"

Ms Bagshot accusingly stared at Harry, almost daring him to tell her otherwise. However, the young man stared back, speechless. Never before had he assumed that his mother might have actively done something to protect him. On the contrary, he had kept believing Dumbledore's version. Something about the possibility of his mother actually coming up with the means of deflecting the Killing Curse wasn't just plausible – it seemed likely. It was likelier for a desperate mother to search for the means of protecting Harry than some act of great love and sacrifice, if perhaps the end result hadn't been a mixture of both.

"No, my mother would never turned to the Dark Arts" Harry weakly said.

"Do you even know what we call the Dark Arts?" Bathilda inquired with a taunting hum. "Truly, dear, if you hope to defeat You-Know-Who you must at least know what you are up against…" while her tone was playful, the way she scrutinized Harry suggested he was supposed to prove her right.

"The Dark Arts are all horrible branches of magic" Hermione said. "From manipulation of blood to the Unforgivables".

"Don't be foolish, dear, the Dark Arts are an extremely large area of magic, some deserving of the title, others falling into the category out of ignorance and callousness" retorted the aged Historian. She turned at Harry, chidingly frowning at him with bitter disappointment "so you are telling me that Albus never bothered in instructing you properly for the challenge ahead?"

"No" Harry conceded "but let us say there were a few things out of his control". He managed to keep calm, if only barely reining in his anger at the senile woman.

"If Albus wasn't able to get over his bigotry in relation to the Dark Arts, then I fear that perhaps it is too late" sighed Ms Bagshot in defeat.

"Professor Dumbledore? Bigotry?" Scoffed an irritate Hermione. "Look who is talking about bigotry! You haven't stopped mudding Professor Dumbledore's good name since we saw down for dinner. He had his faults, he was a mere man after all, but he was the most noble and wisest person we have ever known, and even then he always did his best for us".

"Spoken like a true Dumbledore fanatic" Bathilda said. "First of all, you need to understand that -"

"What is that smell?" Hermione suddenly interrupted, sniffing the air.

Harry smelled it too. His eyes widened. It was the distinct smell of something burning. Bathilda Bagshot rose her nose and her nostrils opened wide as she took in the stench of fires and wood. To their shock, they were quick to notice the faint haze of rising smoke. The three immediately left the dining room. Harry and Hermione went to the hallway, only to find themselves by the staircase… staircases that led to a burning inferno.

"The first floor!" Harry cried out.

"Out of my way" Bathilda cried out. She huffed over to the staircase and, once her eyes laid upon, gasped. "Gods, how is this even possible! Quick, summon water to put out the flames!"

Together, the three raised their wands and cried out in unison "Aquamenti!" Three streams of water shot out towards the flames. Unfortunately, just as the stairs became wet and scorched, a piece of the dining room's ceiling fell off. They were, sadly, too late. The first floor was on fire.

"Gods!" Bathilda gasped, horrified. Harry couldn't blame her. Her entire house was burning down before her very eyes. "My books! I must save my books!"

She immediately ignored the new flames over what had been their meal. Harry managed to control it with water. Hermione, though, went to accompany Bathilda.

"The house is coming apart" Harry cried out as more of the roof fell down, reclaiming the dining room in its blazing grasp.

"I can't leave my books" Bathilda told Hermione as she silently casted a spell on the bookshelves.

All of the tomes immediately started flying away into a single line of hovering books, and out of the house, through a magically opened door. Hermione rushed to the dining room, much to Harry's horror. She returned quickly enough, eyeing the burning kitchen as she tightly held her large bag.

"We need to leave!" Hermione insisted.

"What caused the fire?!" Harry wondered, utterly baffled. He coughed as more smoke gathered in the ground floor.

Bathilda froze, just as the last book flew out. She snapped her head at Harry, deathly pale and with eyes filled with dread.

"Out! You need to leave!" She yelled. "It must be him! He has come for you!"

But before anyone could ask who she meant, a massive chunk of the ceiling fell. Harry grabbed Hermione and Bathilda and pulled them out right in time before it crashed where they had been standing. They took a surprised moment to look at the pile of fire, before hurrying out of the house.

"It's the Dark Hunter!" A frantic Bathilda exclaimed. "You need to run! The Wards are falling apart. You need to-" She froze, right across the threshold of the house, with Harry and Hermione on each side.

By that point, most of the house was alit and crawling right onto the entrance door, meaning the three of them. However, even then, Bathilda froze in her place, rooted by new fear, and stared straight into the inferno chasing them out. Harry and Hermione would have pushed her forward, but they were drawn by her gaze. It was a good thing they did, because as they watched the creaking orange flames eat their way towards them, a dark silhouette formed amidst the fires.

It was a man, or at least the outline of one. He was tall, and with wide shoulders, clad in some sort of large militaristic coat. However, what caught their attention, were the two sapphire eyes burning alongside the fire, shining in a sapphire light that pierce into their very souls. Harry and Hermione stared, both in awe and horror, as the silhouette approached.

"Run!" Bathilda said.

Before Harry and Hermione could react, Bathilda had given a step into the house and, in one move, waved her wand backwards. Both young mages were sent flying across the door and straight into the cold snow outside. As their faces were buried in the freezing winter, they heard the slam of a door, sealing Bathilda Bagshot's fate.

Harry and Hermione recovered quickly enough, getting to their feets and standing amidst towers of books, laid forgotten. With their wands in their hands, they helplessly stood there as they were able to see the burning cottage. Their jaws went slack at the massive fire.

"We need to help her!" Harry shouted, desperate, only to be held back by Hermione.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed, pulling him back.

Harry was about to respond, only to notice movement. In fact, Hermione had seen it before and was staring at it with dread. From their right, a massive hellish translucent wolf charged towards them, out of mere darkness. It had burning red eyes, as if summoned from the deepest pits of hell, and it looked ready to swallow them whole.

Without a word, the two started running away. The wolf chased after them, followed by more of its kin. A pair appeared in front of them, forcing the two to take a turn and go straight into a pine forest. They had no time to think as the ashen wolves shepherded them there, nor did they get a chance to see how the door to Bagshot's residence was kicked open and a man run outside, just as the entire cottage collapsed inwards. In his arms was an unconscious woman, which he hastily laid by her beloved books, before glaring at the two young mages making a run for it.

Harry gritted his teeth, trying to run faster. Those things, with their glowing blood red eyes, danced behind them, soaring like shadows between the trees. Like hunting ghosts, they flew over the snow in all of their phantasmagorical glory, filling the darkness with their evil presence. They didn't touch the snow, but acted as if they were able to run over it. Harry snapped his head forward only to halt, seeing that Hermione had stopped running. The reason came out of the trees in front in the form of a pack of those misty ash wolves with hellish eyes.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, waving his wand at the incoming foes having finally remembered that he was a wizard. A red bolt of magic shot off at the wolves, only to fly through them. By then, it was too late; the wolves were onto them.

Hermione screamed as one of the ash canines pounced at her. She was pushed back, one of the wolves standing over her. Harry went over to try to help her, a spell at the tip of his tongue, only for something to ram against him. The slim young man was sent flying straight to the snow, his face slamming onto the biting cold snow. When Harry managed to get his head up, he quickly realized he was unarmed… and surrounded by silently growing ashen wolves. He helplessly looked at Hermione, who remained frozen, terrified, at the menacing monster standing over her, its stout quivering with a warning soundless growl.

"Victory!"

Harry snapped his head at the voice. From the shadows, he managed to make out a man. The voice had come out muffled, probably by that old gas mask the attacker was wearing. Harry searched the nearby snow for his wand, cursing his misfortune. It was him: the Dark Hunter. It had to be him, just as it was probably the same person they had seen in Bagshot's house.

"Mimblewimble" The man yelled, a wand trained at Harry.

The young man was, at first, surprised by the exclamation. At first he thought it was some sort of swearing, only to find himself hit by some spell. It was then that he realized that it was actually the tongue-tying curse. To say that the curse was an unpleasant experience would have been an understatement. His tongue went numb, but he suddenly felt his mouth gagged by a large lump of something, probably a lengthened, knotted tongue.

The newcomer repeated the spell on Hermione. He didn't lower his guard, though, he hurried at them, his wand still poised to strike. Once he was near enough to his prey, the man casted the Full-Body Bind curse on them, first Harry and then Hermione. Only then did the stranger lower his arm, allowing himself to stare at his successful catch.

Now that he was closer, Harry managed to make out more of the attacker. He was without doubt the Dark Hunter they had been told about. With an old trench gas mask and a military emerald trench coat, the Dark Hunter looked more of a doughboy than an actual dark wizard. Still, Harry wasn't actually in the mood of laughing, given the circumstances.

"Finally…" the man wheezed, winded by the short chase.

Those words alone chilled Harry's body more than the harsh winter around them. He gulped, afraid. This was not how things were supposed to go. As much as he struggled, sadly, his body wouldn't react. The Dark Hunter loomed over him, studying the Boy-Who-Lived for a brief moment only to lean forward, a hand stretched towards him. Harry knew right away that as soon as he was grabbed it would all be over.

It was then that Fate intervened. The first thing Harry sensed was a loud, hoot-like sound which developed into a melodic tune of a strange flute. While it was a merry song, it had a strangely uplifting effect on Harry. All fears vanished, replaced by hope and courage. Suddenly, he felt like he could move mountains. Then came the light.

The Dark Hunter snapped his head to a side, from where a bright light appeared.

"Morgan's Blood!" Swore the Dark Hunter.

Harry's eyes widened as, just like that, the ashen wolves shook and sizzled into a cloud of ashes, falling down… lifeless. The Dark Hunter noticed that too, with wide terrified eyes. He raised his hand at something from where Harry and Hermione had come from, but was unable to cast anything.

"Stupefy!" Someone yelled, someone far between the trees from where Harry came from.

The Dark Hunter ducked, dodging a large red bolt, only to roll to a side as another spell struck where he had stood. After that, the Dark Hunter swore under his breath and hastily retreated away from the light, shooting off a spell of his own. As he run, though, he started giving off thick smoke from every inch of his body, hiding him from the newcomers.

"He's running away!" Someone shouted.

"Catch him!" Someone else yelled.

There was only darkness around them. The shadows receded only in brief flashes as different spells soared across the cold air towards the escaping Dark Hunter, and straight into the growing cloud of smoke. There were stunners and a handful of incantations Harry was familiar with. There were also a few cutting spells too, which seemed a bit off in the mixture.

By then, Harry felt the body-bind curse fading. He was a bit startled when he found he could move his hands. With a frown, he allowed himself a second to ponder on how quickly the curse had lasted. Maybe their attacker hadn't casted it properly, but Harry was sure it lasted a lot more than what it had… not that he was complaining.

When the Full Body-Bind curse was broken, Harry snapped up and glanced behind him. From the looks of it, a group of grey-robed people were hurrying towards them, blasting all sorts of spells at the retreating Dark Hunter. Bright, powerful patroni were giving chase to the ominous dark wizard, hiding Harry and Hermione behind shadows of darkness as their would-be rescuers pursued the would-be kidnapper.

"Harry" Hermione whispered.

The young man snapped his head to his right, only to find a crouched Hermione, wide-eyed, staring at him. She was terrified.

"Hermione" Harry murmured, crawling towards her.

"We must leave" Hermione said. She moved forward, an arm stretched out.

"Wait!" Harry exclaimed, looking down at the snow. "My wand!" He looked at Hermione, who seemed horrified by the prospect of having lost Harry's wand. "Summon it, Hermione!" He urged her.

"Over there!" Someone exclaimed, someone very close to them. "There's someone there!"

Harry's eyes widened as the ones who had attacked the Dark Hunter hurried towards them in a flurry of crisping footsteps in the snow and cracks of broken branches.

"Accio Harry's wand!" Hermione cried out, her wand waved over her head.

"Stupify!" A crowd chorused at them amongst the surrounding trees.

Harry saw something shoot off the snow and towards the bushy haired witch just as red light rushed towards them. With Seeker reflexes, he caught it mid-air. However, before he could relish in the reunion with his precious wand, Hermione grabbed his arm and, before he knew it, they were gone. A deafening CRACK echoed across the glade, leaving only thin air where two young mages had once been.

It was to bitter nothingness that the Order of the Phoenix emerged from the shadows. They looked around, panting, as they searched for their targets. Where were the ones they were meant to rescue? Clad in grey robes and with their faces covered under golden masks, they dumbly looked around in disbelief.

"Was that Harry Potter?" One of the Order members inquired, his or her voice muffled magically to sound like a long, dead drawl.

"I- I think so" another person replied.

A trio of Order members returned from the shadows, panting. They were returning empty-handed.

"He got away" one of them announced.

One of the Grey-clad mages raised his wand, lighting the place up with a strong Lumos.

"Just barely" he huffed, pointing at a large puddle of blood. They all saw a trail of red dots staining the pure white snow towards the direction the Dark Hunter had run to. By the looks of it, the Dark Hunter was sure to be in great pain…

* * *

"He will be fine" Darius said for the umpteenth time.

Ginny glumly glanced at the man, only to resume her ceaseless pacing. This made the patriarch sigh with resignation yet again, burying himself deeper in his comfy sofa. Under the light of the nearby fire, Artemis and Darius patiently waited on their own separate seats in the relatively nice study room. They each held a soothing tea, something they both needed. Ginny, though, was too restless to just sit down.

"Dear, please, we are already anxious enough" Artemis begged at the younger woman.

"I should be out there" Ginny muttered. She stopped dead on her feet, snapping her body towards the two adults. "First Harry leaves to God – I mean, gods – know-where to do gods-know-what, then I am stuck in Hogwarts during a Death Eater takeover, I am separated from my family, I don't have a clue about their whereabouts or if they are safe and – and he's out there…"

Artemis' face softened at that. She gestured at Ginny to seat at a sofa to her left, the only one available. Reluctantly, the redhead decided to try to calm down. She marched over to her seat and, unceremoniously, plopped herself on it.

"You care about him" Artemis summarized.

"I do" Ginny confessed with a grimace. She grabbed her own cup of tea, which had been laid in waiting for a coffee table just in front of the fireplace.

"Do you…?" Artemis tentatively asked, trying not to sound too nosy.

"Love him?" Ginny finished. She thought about it for a moment. "I- I think I do… but it's crazy. I barely know him that well and – and I am too young, right?" She sighed, leaning back. "I'm going bonkers".

"Do you want to be with him?" Artemis wondered.

"Yes" Ginny wistfully smiled at the fireplace, mesmerized by the dancing flames. "I feel safe with him. I feel…" she turned her head to look at an intrigued matriarch. "I feel like I don't need to be strong, like I can let my guard down and relax. I- I'm happy with him".

"Need to be strong?" Artemis asked, befuddled.

"It's nothing" Ginny mumbled.

But it didn't look like anything. If anything, it looked like a past trauma had resurfaced on the young woman, something Artemis' motherly eyes could easily catch. From the corner of their eyes, both women caught the sight of a very irritable Darius; the man clearly didn't want to be anywhere near such conversation.

"Oh dear" Artemis whispered in disbelief. "Did something happen at Hogwarts, dear?"

Ginny looked at her, surprised. She blinked at the older woman, dumbfounded.

"Call it mother's intuition" she cheekily hummed.

"Well… something might have happened" Ginny slowly admitted. "I don't want to go into details but… but it happened I was – I was very afraid. Mom and dad tried to help but… but with how – ehm – financially dispossessed as we were I didn't want to bother them much. Instead I…"

"You pulled a brave face and acted as if nothing was wrong" Artemis nodded. "That doesn't sound like a wise idea, dear".

"I know. I just… I just didn't want to be a damsel in distress" Ginny scoffed, annoyed. "I don't want other people constantly having to look at me like a fragile piece of furniture, like I'm about to break into a dozen pieces. But that's what you get with an overbearing mother and six older brothers. They are always worrying, always on your case…"

"But Selenius isn't" Artemis pointed out.

Ginny smiled, her cheeks flushing a bright red. "No, he treats me differently" she mumbled. Her smile widened at Artemis "he has taught me so much about the Dark Arts and Pyromancy… " She grinned at the older woman, beaming cheerfully at her. "I am more than just a girl to him" she concluded.

Darius hid a scowl at that, while Artemis offered a much more reserved response with a cautious smile. Truth to be told, they weren't exactly sure what Selenius' plan was with the Weasley girl. Was Selenius plotting to get her to join the side of the Dark Lord? Was he interested in wedding the child and claim her as his own? Or was he, perhaps, truly eager to have an apprentice, regardless of her loyalties?

"You should be careful. It is not uncommon to feel things for your teachers, like admiration" Artemis averted. "Be always wary about what your heart desires. The heart, after all, doesn't put much thought into anything".

"Sounds a bit cold" Ginny commented.

"Doesn't make it any less true" Artemis giggled. "It is an innocent crush, nothing more, nothing -"

Suddenly, all too abruptly, the housewife froze. Her eyes widened, staring off over Ginny's head as if she could see – no, sense – something. Darius too seemed to have felt it as he stood up straight, shocked. As one, the couple rose to their feet and hurried out without ushering a single word. Ginny followed, worried. Something about their faces, something about their terrified demeanour, created knots in her gut.

Whatever they felt from the Wards, it had to be extremely urgent for they didn't slow down to pick a cloak. Rather, Darius opened the door and sprinted outside, with his wife holding a hand over her mouth as if to contain a scream. By that point, Ginny knew something was awfully wrong.

Outside the house, amidst the whiteness of winter, there was only veils of darkness. Darius, though, marched onwards, regardless of the gusts of chilling air with clairvoyance, as if he could actually pinpoint his destination through the magical wards of his house. Ginny followed closely, with Artemis, right across blankets of snow and between tall, naked trees.

It didn't take long for Ginny to finally see what the Greengrass couple had seen. There, sprawled on the ground and buried deep in the beds of winter, was Selenius. Even without being able to see much, barely making out anything thanks to the lights from the house, Ginny's heart skipped a beat at the black patches that formed a trail behind the Pyromancer. The smell alone was enough: blood.

"Selenius!" Darius shouted, kneeling next to his brother.

His gaze swept over his fallen brethren, helping him turn around. With Selenius' head cradled on one arm, they were all able to see the large wet stain that spread across half the Pyromancer's chest. Ginny's eyes shook with horror. The injury was nothing she had ever seen. What sort of wound had been inflicted on Selenius?

Faintly, the defeated mage opened his eyes, as pale as the snow beneath him. Sadly, they were missing their usual clarity and soberness. He was visibly struggling against the haze that clouded his mind, but it was not enough for Selenius.

"Selenius, what happened?!" Darius roared, demanding to know.

Selenius looked at his brother, or at least he set his gaze on Darius. The man's eyes were off, their radiance lost. Instead of shining like fires, they burned like dying embers. Ginny felt tears run down her face, the cold winds making the liquid bite onto her skin.

"I failed…" he whispered, his voice cracking with crushing defeat. "I failed again…"

Tears started falling down the cheeks of the wounded mage, glistening under the moonlight in a bright silver. He clenched Darius' robes with all the strength and well he could muster. Even in his agonizing state, Selenius bore still some fire in him. But there was something else now, a haunting fear etched in his face as well as the darkness of resignation.

"I've failed!" He exclaimed.

"He's disoriented! We must get him inside!" Artemis shouted, hugging herself as her dress flapped with the wind. "He's lost too much blood!"

"Hold on, brother" Darius growled, lifting his bleeding brother with both arms. With a scowl, he added "now is not your time, Selenius".

But by then, the fallen brother had lost consciousness.

* * *

 **Author Notes: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I am not sure when the next chapter will be up.**

 **I might upload the next chapter sooner than later if, I don't know... got many reviews? ;)**

 **Please, do review. I like the feedback and I do want to improve as a writer.**


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